Banana walnut bread

What is it in human nature that makes you crave precisely those things that you _know_ you shouldn't crave? Its like reverse psychology or something...

So, listen to this: the other day I took a day-off from work to finish my catch up packing (makes me wonder actually how a 2-bedroom apartment can even stock so much STUFF! but the stuff kept coming out and we kept packing!). I was in the midst of packing when it first happened:

Four sad looking over-ripe bananas were staring at me from over the fridge almost scolding me for letting them go to waste. I ignored their plea, see, I am quite fussy with bananas and won't eat an overripe one unless I am starving. A banana bread came to my mind, but I quickly stashed the thought in a deep furthermost inaccessible corner of my mind.

Few more boxes packed and its time to clean the fridge itself. Now a lone egg and a used stick of butter are staring from the egg basket, okay, now that's it, too many divine signs for me to make a banana bread. Look at the irony of the situation though: last time I baked a sweet bread was atleast 6 months ago and I never craved it until today when, as luck would have it, all my bakeware was packed as was the AP flour!

Afternoon arrived, and my craving for a banana bread and coffee kept increasing. Finally I gave in to the impulse, opened a couple of packed boxes until I found the one with my loaf pan. AP flour luckily was sitting on the top of a box. Quickly I packed everything back in, lest my husband should find out about my craziness! So as a result I ended up unpacking and repacking a couple of boxes, spending 15mins taking a photo.. but hey, atleast I enjoyed a warm bread slice with a nice hot cup of coffee which I so needed after a hard day's work :D
Recipe: Banana walnut bread
Ingredients:
4 ripe bananas
5Tbsp unsalted melted butter
1 egg
1tsp baking soda
1tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1.5C all purpose flour
handful of chopped walnuts
1/2C sugar (this is just barely sweet, which is how I like it; otherwise increase sugar to 3/4C)
some quick cooking oats to sprinkle on top (optional)

Recipe:
Pre-heat oven to 360F.

Place the butter in microwave for 30sec or so to melt. Smash the bananas using a potato masher. Add the melted butter to the banana mixture and mix well.

Beat and egg and add it to the banana-butter mixture. Mix well.

Add sugar, salt, vanilla extract. Using a food processor chop the walnuts into smaller pieces (if using whole walnuts) and add the pieces to the mixture.

Add baking soda to the AP flour and mix with a spoon. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Stir till well combined.

Lightly grease a loaf pan with butter or cooking spray. Add the banana bread mixture to the loaf pan. Sprinkle some oats on top of the bread.

Bake for 1hour or until the toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.

Comments

Cool Lassi(e) said…
Dear,
I am like you when it comes to eating overripe bananas. The peel should be flawless without any spots for me. If I see spots then it is overripe for me to enjoy. Love the bread. Seeing a lot of bread this week.
Happy Weekend!
My favorite bread. Your pic makes me hungry.
My fav one.. I used to make always.. becos everytime I buy banana, 2 will be left ripen for making this bread..Yummy. Great for breakfast and teatime.
Latha said…
Beautiful, moist and luscious cake PJ.
Deepa said…
PJ, the walnut bread looks so tempting..never made one, should make soon..bookmarked this recipe..
Kalai said…
my all time fav bread! Looks tempting and inviting!
R said…
what a creative way to put ur sad little bananas to use :)) luv the recipe.... happy moving!!
Nupur said…
Good luck with the move, and kudos for not wasting food even in the midst of a busy time!
Pari Vasisht said…
You really have patience girl!!!Managed to bake a bread while packing and yes I can't take ripe bananas, but my saviour can be to make Shikran too. I personally love this bread and surely frequents in my kitchen but I never posted.
Justin said…
ha, four sad looking bananas. that's every week for me -- okay, maybe 2 or 3. that's why i'm always looking for new banana-dessert ideas
PJ said…
Cool Lassi(e), aha, so I am not the only one with fussy banana eating :) I am the same way too, a blackened banana and I can't eat it anymore.. an unripe one is okay though!

N S, thanks! I am so glad you liked the banana bread and the pics.

Pavithra, yes, I love this bread too! Perfect for a tea time snack, isn't it.

Latha, thanks! I am so glad you liked the bread.

Deepa, thanks, do try it, its very easy even for a person with limited baking talent like me :) I am sure you would take the recipe to a whole new level!

Kalai, thanks! I love this banana nut bread too.. easy to make and super delicious :D
Namitha said…
One of my favs..Whenever I have ripe bananas left over I make this/muffins :-)
Yes, We complain about lack of space ,but I always wonder how much "stuff" we would have had if the place was bigger..lol..Happy packing n moving Prajukta :-)(sorry, if I mispelled !!!)
San said…
Any time it is such a comfort baking dish .Quick ,easy ,flavorful n flawless,i love the taste it leaves off the taste bud.Nice click PJ.Great that you managed to bake at this time.It's so tempting.
Cicily Antony said…
lovely bread and nice click!!! Happy packing...
shahana said…
Loved your banana bread slice.
Happy packing and shifting dear!
PJ said…
R, thanks! Rather this is the only way I know of putting sad bananas out of their misery :D So glad you liked it and thanks so much for the wishes!

Nupur, thanks so much for your best wishes! I must say craving a warm sweet banana bread was very close in my motivation list to not wasting food :D

Pari, i make my husband eat ripe kelyacha shikran.. for me, i cant take ripe kele even in shikran! guess i am just too fussy an eater :D

Justin, glad you like the banana dessert. Its one of my favorite ways to use up over-ripe bananas.

Namitha, I know, give me any place and I'll fill it up with stuff.. makes me wonder sometimes that i should really consider a more minimalistic lifestyle :)
Hayley said…
Hey P J
Banana bread looks perfectly baked and yummylicious!! you know I never baked a banana bread...I think i should try it out, after looking at yours is tempting..
PJ said…
San, thanks! I am so glad you liked the baked bread and the click.

Cicily, thanks so much for your best wishes! The packing seems endless, but atleast its time limited.

Shahana, thanks for your wishes! I am so glad you liked the banana bread.

Jagruti, oh, you should definitely bake a banana bread then.. its very easy and ultimately rewarding to eat one warm off the oven :)
TREAT AND TRICK said…
At last you have used the over-riped banana for this delicious and perfectly baked bread, great idea PJ...
Cham said…
I thought I am the only one in this world who hate banana when it is ripe, for the same reason i don't like the banana bread/muffins! I ve exactly 4 ripe banana waiting , but i am sure i cannot smell the banana smell :(
How could u unpack and bake - kudos!
ruchikacooks said…
Pj, the bread looks delicious, adding nuts only makes it more cravable ;)

Congrats on the new home. Hope the move will be as smooth as it can be and looking forward for your garden updates!
Priya Suresh said…
Wow already u r back with a fantastic bread, thats so great of u PJ...Bread looks fantastic and those nutty fruity slices makes me hungry
PJ said…
Treat and Trick, thanks! This is rather the only way I know of to use up overripe bananas :)

Cham, heh heh, turns out there are atleast a few of us who hate ripe bananas for eating.. yeah, make me feel more like i am not weird :D

Ruchika, thanks so much for your best wishes! i love nuts in breads too, gives for more texture with the smooth most bread and then nuts.

Priya, thanks! I am so glad you liked the bread :)
Indhu said…
was smiling to myself when I read about you unpacking and then repacking quickly :) . I too don't like bananas when they are too ripe and... love the picture of the bread... it sure looks inviting!
indosungod said…
PJ, I know how that works. This bread looks amazing though. Even among all the missing utensils it seemed to have hit all the right notes.
SE said…
lovely picture, PJ...hope your move is going to be safe and have fun !!!
PJ said…
Indhu, thanks, I am so glad you liked the recipe! Its amazing how many people don't like ripe bananas :)

Indo, thanks! The good thing about this bread is that other than a good loaf pan it hardly needs any other utensils, I managed to hunt a loaf pan down through a couple of packed boxes.

SE, thanks so much for your best wishes! Glad you liked the picture too.
Padhu Sankar said…
Banana bread looks amazing! Feel like have a bite
Ha ha ha,Oh my dear PJ, i love love love how this delicious Banana bread was born....a situation that would have me doing exactly the same ...oh im so impulsive ,specially when it comes to cravings :-)))))

ha ha...and at the end of it all,i had a craving and thank God ,i had some irish bread which rushed to eat a slice of....he he he.....

And yeah ,some where here ,i'd unpack ur music system too and add get out that pen drive /ipod or where ever u save ur music and get into a jiggle too.......doesnt baking n then relishin with a cuppa cafe make us so so happy....
U sure know how to keep ur taste buds happy!!!!!
Anushree said…
nice write-up. m hungry already :D
SathyaSridhar said…
Wooowww,,Banana Bread looks delicious dear. bread looks moist with perfect texture.thanks for sharing dear,,happy packing dear.take care of u ter.
Hari Chandana P said…
Yummy combination.. looks soft & beautiful.. nice one!!
Sushma Mallya said…
yummy combo,lovely baked bread..
Anonymous said…
Great idea of (going to be waste) banana and other ingredients. :) When you really crave for something you will make it anyhow. It's so true in my case too. :D
Bread looks moist and soft. I'm not big fan of banana bread though. :(
Sonia said…
oops...that Anonymous was me. :)
tasteofbeirut said…
Wonderful recipe and beautiful photograph! I want a slice now!
pierre said…
Hi PJ bananas are very popular these days on the food blogs and that's great !! bravo for youyr recipe !! Pierre de Paris
Unknown said…
The quick bread is one delish way to use ripe bananas :D
Preeti Kashyap said…
I am shifting too...its sickening and tiring as I have been eating out past 2 weeks now....cant wait to shift in!
Preeti Kashyap said…
Lovely way to use up ripen bananas, kudos for not wasting it!
Hamaree Rasoi said…
Wow what a quick way to use ripe bananas. You know PJ, my hubby is very fussy about eating spotted bananas ...Lets see if this trick come handy in his case ;-)
Deepa
Joanne said…
This definitely sounds like somethign I would do. Or, knowing me, I would have gone out and bought another one. Because once a craving for banana bread sets in - it's impossible to deny it.

This looks quite delicious!
Sarah Naveen said…
Oh My!!! that looks fabulous dear..so soft and spongy...
Happy shifting dear..
Savi-Ruchi said…
Hope you are enjoying the process of relocating. It will be tiring & at the same time fun too, isn't it? The banana-walnut bread looks so soft & fluffy.
Urmi said…
Bread looks fantastic and tempting. Wonderful picture.
s said…
sounds great...in fact great timing too...have some ugly bananas staring at me right now waiting to be given a new avatar!
tasteofbeirut said…
Love banana bread and I haven't made it in ages! Thanks to you I will soon!