Banana Blueberry Bread

We're back from our adventure in the Highland Woods, more to come on that later. In my foods basket which returned from camp, I found two sad, neglected bananas. So now they are baked into this yummy bread. Maybe one will make it till Sunday and my Mom will get a taste for her Birthday.

Original Recipe found here.

Back From The Woods Banana Bread Recipe

Grease and flour one largeish loaf pan, or as I did, two smallish loaf pans. Set aside. Oh, and preheat your oven to 325.

2 large eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar

Place these ingredients in a lovely large bowl and whisk incessantly till your arm falls off. Or do what I did and enlist a helper Husband to do that part. Or use a fancy-dancy mixer thingy, I won't berate you for that (to your face). The trick here is to beat the eggs and sugar together till they are light and creamy. It takes a while. Like 8 minutes (less with electric technology). Or as many as you can stand.

2 very ripe bananas - smushed thoroughly
a heaping 1/4 cup of yoghurt
a fat spoonfull of sour cream
a tablespoon of vanilla
a tablespoon of cooking oil

Beat these ingredients into the egg mixture. Beat them well, but don't get so enthusiastic that you splash any on the counter, unless you plan on cleaning up after yourself.

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

You might want to toss the whisk into the sink, you won't be needing it for this part. Get a wooden spoon or a rubber scraper. Or be a rebel and use the whisk, you might not even notice a difference in the finished product, and you will have one less implement to wash up. Sift these dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir till almost just combined.

1 cup blueberries
1 cup walnuts

My blueberries were frozen so I tossed them with a bit of flour till they were coated - this keeps the whole batter from turning blue. I don't think you have to do this with fresh berries. Anyhoo, fold these luscious inclusions in, incorporating them and mixing the last bit of dryness up at the same time. Do not mix too much, quick breads just don't like to be blended overly much and will turn out tough if you are overzealous incorporating the flour. If you were my daughter you would leave out the blueberries and walnuts and instead fold in a whole bag of chocolate chips. If you do that bring her some because she won't eat anything with walnuts in it.

Pour this into your prepared pans. Bake till done. Mine took about 40 minutes, in two pans. If you put it all in one big pan, it might take an hour or more. Check on it in about 35 minutes and go from there. If a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, the bread is done. If it isn't done and yet it is way way brown on the top, tent the pan with aluminum foil so it doesn't burn (then get an oven thermometer, your oven is probably running hot).

Let it cool in the pans for 5 minutes or so, and then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. If you cut bread while it is still hot you release it's soul, and then you have to eat the whole thing right then or else what is left of the loaf will be a dry husk, or at the very least something less luscious than it could have been had you not been so impatient. Quick breads are even better if they sit overnight, wrapped tightly in plastic or foil. That is why I make 2, so I can steal the first one's soul and then have another the next day.