How to Use Up Ripe Bananas? Make Banana, Coconut, and Date Bread.

I wasn't gonna do it. I swear.



I was determined to get through all four posts of how to use up ripe bananas without making a banana bread. Because, really, does the world need one more banana bread recipe? After eating this banana, coconut, and Medjool date bread, I can say with certainty, Yes, it does.



Each bite of this satisfying banana bread is chock full of creamy banana, toasted coconut, crunchy walnuts, and sticky, sweet Medjool dates. Enjoy it plain or toasted with a dab of butter. Or, if you really feel like splurging, top it with a thick layer of peanut butter, because everything's better with peanut butter.



Dear Readers,

Please note that on March 1, 2009, I made a correction to the recipe below and have updated the recipe page. It should have 1 cup of low-fat buttermilk, not two. My apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thanks, Bev!

Susan

Must-Make Banana, Coconut, and Medjool Date Bread
Made with fragrant toasted coconut, succulent Medjool dates, and crunchy walnuts, this is one unforgettably moist, delicious banana bread.

Print recipe only here.

1 cup lightly toasted shredded sweetened coconut
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs plus 4 egg whites
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 small very ripe bananas (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup pitted, coarsely chopped Medjool dates
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped


Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Coat 1 (8 1/2 X 4 1/2 -inch) loaf pan with cooking spray.

To toast the coconut, place in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, whisk the flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

In a large bowl, beat brown sugar and eggs. Add buttermilk, oil, and vanilla; beat until batter is smooth. Lower the speed; add the bananas and beat briefly (it's ok if the batter has a few lumps).

Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until just incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the dates, walnuts, and toasted coconut. The batter will be thick. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until the top is a deep golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Check the bread about halfway through. If you feel like the top is getting too brown, then tent the pan with a piece of aluminum foil and continue baking. You can also place the pan on two stacked baking sheets in the center of the oven to prevent the bottom of the bread from getting too browned.

Transfer the bread to a rack; let cool for 10 minutes, then unmold and place on a rack to cool to room temperature.


If you missed the previous three posts on how to use up ripe bananas, then you can check them out here:

Mini Banana Bundt Cakes with Sticky Maple Syrup Glaze




Comforting Banana, Oatmeal, and Raisin Cookies




Low-Fat Banana, Cranberry, and Honey Mini Muffins




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Wondering How to Use Up Those Ripe Bananas? Make Banana Cookies.

OK, no post-Kenysian economics today. I have come to terms with the fact that I'll have to take out a second mortgage on the condo to pay for maple syrup. But some things in life are worth it; and maple syrup is one of them.

So today, it's all about the bananas. And cookies. Banana cookies, that is. Yes, there really is such a thing. Though there are scores of banana cookie recipes online I decided to concoct my own. Maybe it's beginner's luck, but these banana cookies were really good.



Truthfully, I think "cookie," isn't quite the right word to describe these sweets. With their enticing, spicy aroma, and soft, cakey texture, they're more like mini banana cakes or even banana muffin tops. That doesn't, however, make them any less comforting or delicious.

Enjoy them with your morning cup 'a joe or with a late afternoon tea. Apparently they're a great midnight snack with a glass of milk, as I learned by the trail of crumbs that led from the cookie jar to the adjacent counter early one morning. When I asked Jeff if he had eaten a banana cookie during the night, his eyes bugged a bit, and he said, "A cookie? Noooo." Let's just say it's a good thing he doesn't like to play poker.



Comforting Banana, Oatmeal, and Raisin Cookies
Whether you enjoy them on their own, with a mug of hot coffee, or with a glass of cold milk, these cakey, spiced bananas cookies will make you feel all warm inside.

Makes 26 cookies
Print recipe only here.

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2 large)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup lightly toasted old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup lightly toasted pecans, finely chopped
1/2 cup dark raisins


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar; beat in the egg, vanilla, and bananas. In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg; add to the banana mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in the oats, pecans, and raisins.

Drop 2 tablespoons of cookie dough 2 inches apart (as they will spread) on the parchment-lined baking sheets.

Bake cookies for 13-15 minutes, or until firm and golden brown. Transfer to a rack and cool for 15 minutes.

To store cookies, layer between pieces of waxed paper (to prevent sticking) and place in an air-tight container for up to several days.

*If desired, you can substitute half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour; I have tried and enjoyed both.

You might also like:

Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cranberries, Raisins, and Pecans




Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and Chocolate Chunk Cookies




Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti







Other delicious banana cookies you might like:
Alanna's Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Garrett's Banana Cookies at Elise's Simply Recipes
Karina's Gluten Free Banana Cookies
Mandy's Banana Chocolate Cookies
Tarah's Banana Oatmeal Cookies

This is the second banana recipe in a 4-part series. First there were:

Mini Banana Bundt Cakes with Sticky Maple Syrup Glaze





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Mini Banana Bundt Cakes with Sticky Maple Walnut Glaze

This was going to be a post about how to use up your ripe bananas. But it turned out to be a treatise in post-Kenysian economics. Much more interesting.

Food prices are high. I paid 99 cents for a dozen of eggs last year; the same eggs are $2.29 today. A 5-pound bag of flour that used to be $2 is now closer to $5. And good luck finding a carton of orange juice or a loaf of good, crusty Italian bread for under $5.

Having lived with these price increases for the last year or so, I'm no longer shocked at the price of most things at the market. Until last week. There it was, right at eye level. I squinted. I checked to see if it was for 1 or perhaps they meant for a whole case of it.

Maple syrup: $17.99.

"You gotta be kidding me," I muttered not very softly to myself, "Are they nuts? I mean, this is Trader Joe's. Who's gonna break a 20 for maple syrup at Trader Joe's?"

Thinking I would outsmart the forces of economics, I went to Costco. They had imitation maple syrup (in large quantities) for $14. Imitation maple syrup? Uh, don't think so. I mean, I'm Susan of Food Blogga. No imitation-maple-syrup for my readers. I gotta have the real thing.

I went to a local market that I sometimes hit for that hard-to-get items. I ended up paying $14 for a 12.5 oz. bottle, but Ha!, I gave my money to the little guy. Strutting off happy with my antidisestabolishmentarianism self, and having spent more money on gas and maple syrup than I ever wanted to, I was ready to bake.



It was all worth it after one bite of these Mini Banana Bundt Cakes with Sticky Maple Walnut Glaze. (See I told you, this was supposed to be about bananas.) Moist, aromatic mini banana cakes become irresistible when drizzled with a sweet and gooey maple walnut glaze.

Oh, and don't expect things to get better this year; food prices are projected to rise 7% in 2009.

Mini Banana Bundt Cakes with Sticky Maple Walnut Glaze
Makes 24 mini bundt cakes
Print recipe only here.

Cake Batter:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks (12 Tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
4 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup coarsely chopped lightly toasted walnuts

Maple Walnut Glaze:
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons heavy cream
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Coat two (12-mini bundt cake) pans with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon together.

In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugars and beat at medium speed for a couple of minutes. Add eggs and beat well. Add the vanilla, milk, and maple syrup; beat until batter is silky. Lower the speed; add the bananas and beat briefly.

Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients, and mix until just incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in the raisins and walnuts. Divide the batter evenly among the 24 molds.

Bake for 25-30 minutes rotating pans mid-way through. Cakes should be deep golden brown, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the middle should come out clean. Transfer the cakes to a rack for 3-5 minutes. Then flips the pans upside down and place cakes on a cooling rack. Cool completely before glazing.

For the glaze, in a small pan over medium-low heat, melt butter and maple syrup; add heavy cream and a pinch of salt. Pour into a small metal bowl. Add confectioners' sugar, and whisk vigorously until smooth. If necessary, pour glaze through a fine mesh sieve to remove any tiny clumps of sugar. Let glaze rest for 3-5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. For easy clean-up, place a piece of parchment paper underneath the cooling rack. Drizzle glaze evenly over cakes, and sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Cool completely before serving.

Coming soon to a Food Blogga near you:
Since I always have lots of ripe bananas to use up, I'm going to turn this into a 4-part series. Each week for the next four weeks, I'll post a recipe for using up ripe bananas. And let's just say cookies, muffins and breads are involved.

You might also like:

Chocolate Chip, Cherry, and Pistachio Cookies






Pumpkin Pie Pudding with Candied Pecans and Freshly Whipped Cream





Pear and Cardamom Cake