Banana Bread with Ginger Streusel Topping

This is the ultimate in banana bread. What makes it so great? You can really taste the banana and it’s not overly sweet. using more bananas and less sugar knocks down the overly sweet factor but, also makes the bread moist. I reworked a recipe I posted a few years back and I’m loving the results.

For the bananas you don’t want nice yellow bananas they’re just not sweet enough. You’ll need ripe bananas to take advantage of the sugar in them. It will take 3 to 6 bananas depending on the size I used medium ones. You want the ones that are covered in brown spots or completely brown will work too.

 

Pre-heat oven to 350°F

Blend the topping before the bread batted then set aside. The reason for this is you want to use the batter as soon as it is mixed so it stays tender.

For the topping:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger if you like spicy or 1 teaspoon for a milder taste
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a medium bowl using a pastry blender or fork cut the butter into the flour, baking soda, sugar, and ginger until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle over the top of the loaves and bake.

 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (I used King Arther)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I used King Arther)
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups mashed bananas 4 to 5 depending on size well spotted and soft
• 1/2 cup canola oil  (avocado, grapeseed or olive oil)
• 1/2 cup room temp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecan (these can be omitted if you’re not a nut person)

Method:

Prepare your loaf pans by placing the parchment paper in and spraying with cooking oil and set aside. Make up the crumb topping and set aside, then mix your batter and bake.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl using a hand mixer or wooden spoon). Mash 3 to 5 medium bananas this can be done right in the mixing bowl of your mixer. add the butter, yogurt or sour cream, oil and eggs mix just until blended. now add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, spices, and sugar.  Mix just until the flour is wet this should only be about 1 to 2  minutes.  It’s important not to over mix the batter to achieve a light crumb and not develop the gluten. Divide the batter between 3 bread pans for medium loaves or 2 for very large loaves.

Cut parchment paper to fit lengthwise in bread pan leaving sides to hang over to use as handles for removing from pan after baking.

 

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes for medium loaves or 1 hour and 15 to 20 minutes for large loaves.  The crumb will be golden brown and a toothpick or skewer, when plunged into the center, comes out clean.

After removing from the oven using the side of parchment paper lift the loaves out of the pans to rest on a cooling rack.  Let the bread rest for 30 minutes before slicing.  Store in a container after cooled completely with the lid slightly ajar. or wrapped in foil loosely. This bread will keep for about 4 to 5 days.

This makes 3 medium loaves or 2 very large loaves

Pre-heat oven to 350°F

3 loaf pans lined with parchment paper with long ends hanging over the sides then sprayed with cooking spray

Blend the topping before the bread batted then set aside

For the topping:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a medium bowl using a pastry blender or fork cut the butter into the flour, baking soda, sugar, and ginger until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle over the top of the loaves and bake.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (I used King Arther)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I used King Arther
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups mashed bananas 4 to 5 depending on size well spotted and soft
• 1/2 cup canola oil  (avocado, grapeseed or olive oil) I’ve tried all of these and they all work great.
• 1/2 cup room temp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecan (these can be omitted if you’re not a nut person)

Method:

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl using a hand mixer or wooden spoon). Mash 3 to 5 medium bananas this can be done right in the mixing bowl of your mixer. add the butter, yogurt or sour cream, oil and eggs mix just until blended. now add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, spices, and sugar.  Mix just until the flour is wet this should only be about 1 to 2  minutes.  It’s important not to over mix the batter to achieve a light crumb and not develop the gluten. Using a rubber spatula fold in the nuts if using. Divide the batter between 3 bread pans for medium loaves or 2 for very large loaves.

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes for medium loaves or 1 hour and 15 to 20 minutes for large loaves.  The crumb will be golden brown and a toothpick or skewer, when plunged into the center, comes out clean.

After removing from the oven using the side of parchment paper lift the loaves out of the pans to rest on a cooling rack.  Let the bread rest for 30 minutes before slicing.  Store in a container after cooled completely with the lid slightly ajar. or wrapped in foil loosely. This bread will keep for about 4 to 5 days. You can also freeze the loaves in a plastic container and thaw overnight. loaves that have been frozen need to be used 2 to 3 days and only keep in the freezer for 2 months.

Enjoy,

Lury

 

 

 

 

September 27, 2018 by Lury Categories: Baking, Bread, Breadfast 1 Comment

Fig Bars These Are Not Your Average Newton

If you’ve never had fresh fig bars you really don’t know what you are missing.  Not the dry dense bars you are used to I promise you these are so fresh and tasty you will never want store bought again.

A little more than five years or so ago we planted 2 fig trees in our yard. The hot dry weather is very agreeable to figs and the trees or bushes really have produced beautiful fruit every year since planting them.

We’ve had fresh figs in salads, and just by themselves also fig preserves and fig bars. All have been good but the fig bars seem to be a favorite. So I thought I would share them with you. I know not everyone has fig trees in their yard but figs are readily available in most areas. I think this recipe is so worth a try trust me you won’t be sorry.

 

 

Fig Bars

 

Makes about 30 cookies

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Filling

1 1/2 pounds fresh figs

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup fig preserves

1/4 cup dark rum

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

zest of 1 orange about 1 tablespoon

Dough

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 12 pieces

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Two cookie sheets or jellyroll pans lined with parchment or silpat pads.

Preheat the oven to 350°F

1. To make the filling, use a sharp paring knife or kitchen scissors to snip the stems from the figs (they are very sharp and hard), and snip each fig into 5 or 6 pieces. In a large saucepan combine the figs, water, fig preserves, rum, cinnamon, cloves, and orange zest. Stir to mix well.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often, then decrease the heat to low and allow the filling to simmer until it is thickened, but not extremely thick, about 10 minutes. Cool the filling and puree it in the blender or food processor with the metal blade.
3. To make the dough, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse several times to mix.
4. Add the butter and blend on low to medium or if using a processor pulse repeatedly until the butter is finely mixed in, but the mixture is still cool and powdery. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix/pulse repeatedly until the dough forms a ball.
5. Invert the bowl onto a floured work surface  Briefly knead the dough 2 to 3 times to make it smooth. Shape the dough into a rough cylinder. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour refrigerate both the dough and filling for a couple of days before continuing.
6. When you are ready to bake the cookies, set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350˚F.
7. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and roll each to a rope about 12 inches long.
8. Place 1 rope on a floured surface and press and roll it to make a rectangle of dough about 4 inches wide and 12 inches long. Pipe or spoon about 1/6 of the filling down the middle of the dough, spreading it about 2 inches wide with a small offset spatula. Use a pastry brush to paint the exposed dough with water, then lift up the parchment paper and fold the dough over the filling then roll it over with the side of the mat to enclose the filling within a tube of dough. Pinch the seam closed where the 2 edges of dough meet. Turn the filled piece of dough over so that the seam is on the bottom and transfer it to one of the prepared pans. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing 3 filled dough cylinders on each pan. Gently flatten the cylinders of dough with the palm of your hand.
9. Bake the cookies until the dough is set and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. About halfway through the baking, place the pan from the lower rack on the upper one and vice versa, turning the pans back to front at the same time.
10.  Using a sharp knife to cut them into 2 1/2-inch lengths. separate the cookies a bit and return to the oven for 5 minutes longer to set the filling.
11. Cool the cookies on the pans

Storage: Keep the cookies between sheets of wax paper in a tin or plastic container with the lid slightly ajar so the cookies don’t get soggy.  Cookies can be frozen for 1 month in an airtight container.

 

When nature gives you figs, you make fig bars…

Enjoy,

Lury

 

 

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August 30, 2018August 15, 2018 by Lury Categories: Baking, Cookies, Fresh from my garden, Homemade Goodies Leave a comment