Runs in the Family

Since Caitlin was tiny, her father always made THE BEST BANANA BREAD EVER, OMG. 

In honour of these precious memories, she decided that the amazing, yet healthy, loaf needed to be shared with the house. The recipe derives from the Tassajara Bread Book, which is probably the healthiest, most harmonious cookbook around (I mean, it was developed by monks!). This bread makes a great breakfast, or a little afternoon pick-me-up. Or a midnight snack for the college crowd (A.K.A. us).

LOOK HOW GOOD IT LOOKS!

Here it goes:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda


1/2 cup oil


1/2 cup honey


1 grated lemon rind
(Orange also tastes amazing)

2 beaten eggs


2 cups ripe banana pulp
(the riper the better!)

1/4 teaspoon salt


Tassajara recommends 1/2 a cup chopped nuts and 1/2 a cup raisins, but we made it with walnuts and chocolate chips. It also tastes wonderful with any variety of dried fruit or berries.

Sift together dry ingredients and blend wet ingredients along with the citrus zest. Add dry ingredients and banana pulp to the wet ingredients and pour all into greased loaf pan and bake for around 50 minutes at 350 degrees fahrenheit (or at 300 if you oven is on crack like ours), or until an inserted toothpick or fork comes out clean.

It tastes awesome with a bit of butter and/or jam spread on it. Or peanut butter if you're Caitlin's dad. He refers to peanut butter as NOG (nectar of the Gods). We won't argue with that.