Banana bread

I know, I know, why the big deal about banana bread? There are thousands of recipes out there.

Well, that’s the reason. Thousands of them and I can’t remember which one of them was the one I used last time and really liked.

This one is adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s jacked up banana bread and it is terrific.

• 3 ripe bananas, smashed
• 75 grams melted salted butter
• 190 grams brown sugar (this much sugar makes it more cake like than bread, next time I might dial  it down a bit)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon spiced rum (apparently this is optional and Deb suggests bourbon. I used Sailor Jerry, because there was no bourbon in our house and I could not bring myself to use the single malts in banana bread)
• 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
• Pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon (Deb uses only 1 teaspoon but I love cinnamon)
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg (again more than Deb )
• Pinch of ground cloves (I forgot to use this, but I will next time. I love all the spices)
• 190 grams plain flour

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
2. With a wooden spoon, mix melted butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.
3. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla and rum.
4. Sift the flour with the spices, salt and bicarb soda , then  mix into the wet ingredients
5. Pour mixture into a buttered 10 x 23 cm loaf pan.
6. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a tester comes out clean.

Delicious. Not sure how long it keeps. This loaf was all gone within 2 days.