Crunchy Peanut Butter Banana Bread

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.

Banana Bread and Lots of Stuff

When it comes to food, which do you prefer - smooth or chunky?

I'm not just talking peanut butter.

Do you like chocolate pudding or Rocky Road ice cream better?

A cream-of-whatever soup, or minestrone?

A sugar cookie, or oatmeal chocolate chip?

Place me firmly in the chunky group (no weight jokes please).

I choose the Rockiest Road there is. Or Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk.
Or a cookie with just enough cookie dough to hold the the other stuff together.
Creme brulee? Only the top. NY Cheesecake? No thanks.

Smooth is for coffee, vodka and men.
Must. Have. Pieces.

And that's why, when I make banana bread, it has lots of STUFF in it.
If you're more of a smoothie, just leave the pieces out.
That's your right. It's still a very good recipe.
But all the stuff makes it a great one.

Banana Bread with Stuff
adapted from For The Love of Cooking


1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup flour (I used half whole wheat pastry flour, 1/2 all purpose)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 egg

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 Tbsp. vanilla

5 Tbsps. plus 1 tsp. vanilla yogurt

1 1/2 cups of "stuff", any combination - walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, coconut, granola, fresh berries, dried fruit,  crystallized ginger, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, etc.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a loaf pan or coat with cooking spray.
In a mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add the egg, mix thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, a little at a time, alternating with the vanilla yogurt. Start with the flour and end with the flour.

Gently add the mashed banana and vanilla. Add all your "stuff" and combine well, but try not to over mix. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle a little extra stuff on top if you'd like.

Bake 45-50 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan before removing.

The Best Thing I Ate All Week

Apple streusel cookie, from When Pigs Fly bakery. I'm not sure cookie is descriptive enough here. It's like a combination scone/ muffin top/ apple crisp. A thick round of apple, raisins, nuts, sugar-y topping held together with just enough buttery dough.
That's what I'm talking about!

What's the best thing you ate all week?

But wait, there's more...


For those of you who were asking, here's a picture of the Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Sheet Cake.

And I am sad to report that it did not help our football team one bit this week.