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Do you remember the Baked Brownie? It was from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, a fabulous book by two very cool guys who have devoted their lives to baking the most decadent and delicious creations. This is still my go-to brownie. There simply isn't one any better.
These gentlemen, Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, have a new book out called Baked Elements: Our Ten Favorite Ingredients. The chapters are divided into ingredients such as peanut butter, banana caramel, pumpkin, chocolate (duh) and several more (but these are my favorites). I've bookmarked almost every recipe in here, but due to an overabundance of overripe bananas, I had to make this today.
As is typical of anything from Baked, it's delicious and homey. Not the kind of thing you'd find a very fancy bakery and that's just fine by me. I love the way the flavors mingle, without one standing out more boldly than the other.
I might have cooked mine a tad too long. Test yours at the one hour mark and remember that it will continue to cook a few minutes after removing it from the oven.
And by the way, I read on Facebook that the Baked Bakery in Brooklyn suffered some damage during the hurricane. Buying this book and baking from it is like supporting their clean-up effort. That's one way to look at it.
Crunchy Peanut Butter Banana Bread
from Baked Elements
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour.
1 cup sugar, plus 1 Tbsp.
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 generous cup very ripe, mashed bananas (2 1/2 - 3 bananas)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a 9 x 5" loaf pan and dust it with flour, knocking out the excess (or spray with nonstick baking spray).
In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, sugar, salt and baking soda.
In another large bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, oil, eggs, milk and peanut butter until well combined. Toss the chocolate chips with the additional 1 tablespoon of flour then stir them into banana mixture.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture into it. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet gently until just combined. Do not over mix! Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 10 minutes. When a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs, it'll be done.
Cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
