I got some banana for free. Hubby said he likes banana breads. So I feel like trying it. I take the coconut banana bread from Bernard Clayton's book. The ingredients are so many and so diverse that I have a little doubt how it would turn out. After making the batter, I think it's a great recipe. And the loaf has such a spectacular oven spring!!
Recipe: Almond coconut banana bread (1 small loaf)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup KAF all purpose flour
- 1/2 tp baking powder
- 1/4 tp baking soda
- 1/4 tp salt
- 2 TB butter
- 3 TB sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 TB milk
- 1/2 tp lemon juice
- 1/4 tp almond extract
- 1/2 cup coconut powder
- 1 mashed ripened banana
Procedure:
1. Toast coconut powder in toaster oven at 350F for a minute or two. Once the top is light gold, shake and mix. Toast until half the coconut is light gold. Save about 1 TB of toasted coconut powder as topping.
2. Mash a banana. Mix with toasted coconut.
3. Sieve together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Cream butter with sugar. Then add an egg. Mix well. Then add 1 TB milk. Mix again. Then add lemon juice and almond extract. Mix again. It's ok to have lumps.
5. Place the wet ingredients in a medium bowl. Sieve in the dry ingredients. Then mix until a smooth soft dough is formed.
6. Add the mashed banana and coconut powder into the dough. Mix thoroughly. The mixture will be a thick batter.
7. Preheat oven to 350F.
8. Oil a 7x3 loaf pan. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake at 350F middle rack for about 1 hour. When the top becomes light gold, cover with foil and continue baking until internal temperature is 190F.
Results:
7:46am, ingredients:
7:51am, coconut powder toasted for 1 minute in toaster oven 350F:
7:55am, coconut powder mixed and toasted again for a minute:
7:57am, banana mashed:
7:59am, butter and sugar creamed together, giving rise to fine bubbles:
8:00am, egg added, to be beaten:
8:01am, 1 TB milk added to mix:
8:05am, 1/2 tp lemon juice and 1/4 almond extract added:
8:06am, information on almond extract:
8:07am, lumps in the mixture of wet ingredients:
8:10am, sieving in the dry ingredients:
8:12am, mixing the ingredients:
8:15am, a dough-like batter formed:
8:16am, mixing the coconut to banana:
8:17am, thickness of mixed coconut and banana:
8:18am, mixing the banana with batter:
8:24am, final batter:
8:27am, batter height in pan:
8:30am, batter topped with coconut, then slightly smudged to moisten:
8:30am, baking started, 350F, middle rack:
8:44am, loaf baked 14 minutes:
8:57am, loaf baked 27 minutes:
9:06am, loaf's top after baking 27 minutes:
9:06am, loaf's spectacular height after baking 27 minutes:
9:07am, loaf's internal temperature only 140F, thermometer coming out sticky:
9:07am, baking resumed, covered:
9:23am, loaf baked 50 minutes, internal temperature 190F:
9:23am, loaf's soft crumb not holding thermometer well:
9:23am, thermometer coming out clean!
9:24am, top of loaf in pan:
9:24am, details of top of loaf:
9:24am, height of loaf:
9:27am, loaf cooled a minute, that easily detached, crust still very soft, but elastic:
9:28am, side of loaf:
9:28am, heel of loaf:
9:29am, bottom of loaf:
9:29am, bottom corner of loaf:
9:30am, corner:
9:30am, top:
5:16pm, slicing the mini-loaf:
5:16pm, clean cut:
5:19pm, contrast between middle and heel:
5:19pm, a center slice:
5:19pm, a heel slice:
5:20pm, crust and crumb:
5:19pm, a bite:
Observations:
1. The batter is very tasty, with a strong almond flavor. That's a good sign that the outcome will be a great one.
2. Because of the coconut powder, this loaf is best baked in all-purpose or bread flour without additional bran.
3. Wow! Just one bite of it, and one feels like at the gate of heaven! This is not exactly a sweet bread, by the American's standard of sweetness. The sweet taste of the loaf is only subtle. But the loaf has a pleasant and even blend of banana, coconut and almond flavors. It's also a relatively moist loaf, though not moist like dripping with fat. It's barely moist. I love it so much!
