Banana Bread with Walnut Streusel




























My family is big on bananas, but not so big on coordinating shopping lists. Bunches and bunches of bananas pile up on the banana stand and in the fruit basket. People eat as many bananas as they can but it's never enough -- some always go bad, and that's when I step in with my trusty banana bread recipe (adapted from Nigella Lawson's recipe).

Can you really call banana bread "bread"? Sure, it's baked in a loaf pan and doesn't have frosting, but that's just surface stuff (and after all, who needs frosting when you have streusel?). I know that whenever I make banana bread it's a "Don't Eat Until After Dinner" thing, which automatically elevates it to cake status in my mind. Sort of a mix between carrot cake and fruit cake (but better).

I think the raisins are really the star of this recipe, little juicy-sweet bits that lighten up a bread that can be pretty solid. My mother likes to wrap up a thick slice and take it with her for lunch.




































Banana Bread with Walnut Streusel Topping

Streusel:
1/4 c flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp melted butter
1/4 c chopped walnuts

Batter:
3/4 c raisins
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c water
1 1/2  c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
10 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 c white sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
2 large eggs
4 small, overripe bananas, mashed
3/4 c chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla extract


Preheat the oven to 350.

In a small bowl completely mix together the flour, sugar, butter and walnuts for the streusel. Store in the fridge until needed.

Put the raisins, 1/4 c brown sugar and the water in a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer. When the water is mostly gone take them off the heat and let them sit.

In a medium bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl mix the sugars and melted butter until well blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the mashed bananas. Stir in the raisins, walnuts and vanilla. Add the flour mix a bit at a time and scrape into a loaf pan. Sprinkle the streusel over the top and bake in the oven for 60-75 minutes.




August 24, 2011