Best Banana Bread Recipe I've ever found

I have a confession to make - I don't like bananas.  Well that's not entirely true, I like bananas, but only if they are barely ripe, without a single blemish or bruise on their skin or pulp, UNLESS - they are baked into banana bread.  I LOVE Banana Bread!
Unfortunately, I have never been able to find a good enough banana bread recipe to meet my  unattainably high standards, until now.
To me, a perfect banana bread has to be: moist and absolutely not crumbly; a little bit crunchy; and, bananay-sweet but not sugary sweet (given my strong feelings against plain mushy, bruised bananas, there's an irony there somewhere I know).
I gave up trying to make banana bread several years ago, because I was tired of being disappointed after trying out new recipes and then being stuck with a loaf of sub par banana bread.  Then, the other day I noticed another recipe for banana bread on the side of a granola bag... feeling ambitious, brave and a little reckless even, I decided to delve once more into the world of baking and give it a try and I'M SO GLAD I DID!!!!

I started to feel optimistic when the warm banana-y smell started wafting through my kitchen.
Even more so when the tinger on my timer tanged and I pulled a wonderfully tall, golden loaf out of my oven... and absolutely over the moon when I cut into it.
The banana bread loaf came out perfect!!!!  Moist and fruity with a crunchy top crust like I've never tried before.  This first loaf was devoured by my family in no time, and I've since made it 2 more times (slipping in some healthy wheatgerm and wheatbran into the mix - evil mother that I am - mwahahahaha).  It slices very well, and makes for a healthy breakfast, lunch and after school snack.

Being as I can't imagine I'm the only person in the world who has struggled to find the perfect banana bread recipe, I've decided to share my find:
  (taken from the side of a bag of Rogers Hazelnut and Honey 5 Grain Granola)
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp bkg powder
1 tsp bkg soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 c mashed banana
1 1/4 cup granola

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt in one bowl, set aside.
Beat together oil, sugar and eggs, in another bowl and stir in mashed bananas, mix well.
Add dry ingredients and stir until just mixed
Gently stir in 1 c granola
Turn batter into a greased 8.5x"4.5" (1.5L) loaf pan
Top with remaining granola and press it in gently
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 - 60 minutes
Cool 10  minutes in pan then remove to rack to cool completely.
Makes 1 loaf.

I doubled this recipe the second time I made it with no problems.
I also added about a half cup of both wheatgerm and wheat bran to the flour mixture with no problem.

YUM YUM YUM!!!!

More from Paulo Coehlo

I look forward to discovering a part of myself in another one of Paulo Coehlo's Books.
What a hypnotising video this is:



Other magnificent and thought provoking books I have read by this inspirational author:

 And on my bookshelf, waiting to be read:

Declaration of Principles by Paulo Coehlo

1] All human beings are different. And should do everything possible to continue to be so.

2] Each human being has been granted two courses of action: that of deed and that of contemplation. Both lead to the same place.

3] Each human being has been granted two qualities: power and gift. Power drives a person to meet his/her destiny, his gift obliges that person to share with others which is good in him/her. A human being must know when to use power, and when to use compassion.

4] Each human being has been granted a virtue: the capacity to choose. For he/she who does not use this virtue, it becomes a curse – and others will always choose for him/her.

5] Each human being has the right to two blessings, which are: the blessing to do right, and the blessing to err. In the latter case, there is always a path of learning leading to the right way.

6] Each human being has his own sexual profile, and should exercise it without guilt – provided he does not oblige others to exercise it with him/her.

7] Each human being has his own Personal Legend to be fulfilled, and this is the reason he is in the world. The Personal Legend is manifest in his enthusiasm for what she/he does.
Single paragraph – the Personal Legend may be abandoned for a certain time, provided one does not forget it and returns as soon as possible.

8] Each man has a feminine side, and each woman has a masculine side. It is necessary to use discipline with intuition, and to use intuition objectively.

9] Each human being must know two languages: the language of society and the language of the omens. The first serves for communication with others. The second serves to interpret messages from God.

10] Each human being has the right to seek out joy, joy being understood as something which makes one content – not necessarily that which makes others content.

11] Each human being must keep alight within him the sacred flame of madness. And must behave like a normal person.

12] The only faults considered grave are the following: not respecting the rights of one’s neighbor, letting oneself be paralyzed by fear, feeling guilty, thinking one does not deserve the good and bad which occurs in life, and being a coward.
Paragraph 1 – we shall love our adversaries, but not make alliances with them. They are placed in our way to test our sword, and deserve the respect of our fight.
Paragraph 2 – we shall choose our adversaries, not the other way around.

12A] We hereby declare the end to the wall dividing the sacred from the profane: from now on, all is sacred.

14] Everything which is done in the present, affects the future by consequence, and the past by redemption.

15] The impossible is possible


Paulo Coelho