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This is a variation of my grandmother's old banana bread recipe, from a cookbook she gave me (with her handwritten notes in the margin). I've adapted it to include a sugar-free version (since my husband is diabetic) and also included FRESH STRAWBERRIES and a twist with the HAZELNUT glaze on top. If you like nuts in your banana bread, you could also add some chopped hazelnuts to the batter.
Fresh STRAWBERRY BANANA BREAD
1 ripe bananas, peeled & mashed……….............1/4 cup (4 TB) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar or plain white Splenda (not baking blend)
about 8-10 strawberries, hulled and cut in half (more, if they're really small)
2 cups flour ………………………………….........2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda (increase to 1 tsp. ONLY if you're using Splenda)
1/2 cup Hazelnut flavor liquid coffee creamer (can be sugar-free)
1/4 cup milk (any kind ~ I like unsweetened almond milk)
2 eggs................................................................OPTIONAL : about 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 tsp. nutmeg..................................................1/2 tsp. salt
***
Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8" or 9" loaf pan with non-stick baking spray (containing flour) and set aside.
Cream butter and sugar with paddle attachment of electric mixer; add eggs and beat well. Scrape down the sides & paddle; then beat in the baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.
Scrape down sides & paddle again ~ gradually beat in the bananas and strawberries ~ then turn the mixer to medium and let it beat for about a minutes.
Gradually beat in 1 cup of the flour ~ then gradually beat in the Hazelnut creamer ~ then gradually beat in the rest of the flour ~ then gradually beat in the milk ~ and last, beat in the nuts (if you're using them). (The reason you're gradually beating in the flour and milk is so that the flour doesn't puff into your face and the milk doesn't splatter back at you!) But, now you can scrape down the sides and the paddle and beat it on medium until it's thoroughly blended (then beat about 10-15 seconds more).
When well blended, spread evenly in your prepared pan. Give the pan a good whack on the counter, to break any air bubbles inside. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes (a toothpick should come out clean ~ I always test inside one of the cracks on top).
Optional GLAZE: Start with about 3/4 cup powdered sugar and a dash of nutmeg, whisking in HAZELNUT liquid coffee creamer 1 tsp at a time, until drizzle consistency. For sugar-free glaze: You could just whisk some sugar-free Hazelnut creamer into a few heaping TB of sugar-free vanilla canned frosting (although you can making sugar-free "powdered sugar" by sifting together 3/4 cup regular white Splenda with 1/4 cup Cornstarch ~ this will keep in your pantry)
NOTE: If you drizzle/spread it on the warm bread, it will be translucent. If you drizzle it on cooled bread, it will be opaque. I always drizzle on HOT bread ~ making sure to get the glaze into all the cracks on top, and down the sides of the bread (to keep the sides moist).
Fresh STRAWBERRY BANANA BREAD
1 ripe bananas, peeled & mashed……….............1/4 cup (4 TB) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar or plain white Splenda (not baking blend)
about 8-10 strawberries, hulled and cut in half (more, if they're really small)
2 cups flour ………………………………….........2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda (increase to 1 tsp. ONLY if you're using Splenda)
1/2 cup Hazelnut flavor liquid coffee creamer (can be sugar-free)
1/4 cup milk (any kind ~ I like unsweetened almond milk)
2 eggs................................................................OPTIONAL : about 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 tsp. nutmeg..................................................1/2 tsp. salt
***
Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8" or 9" loaf pan with non-stick baking spray (containing flour) and set aside.
Cream butter and sugar with paddle attachment of electric mixer; add eggs and beat well. Scrape down the sides & paddle; then beat in the baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.
Scrape down sides & paddle again ~ gradually beat in the bananas and strawberries ~ then turn the mixer to medium and let it beat for about a minutes.
Gradually beat in 1 cup of the flour ~ then gradually beat in the Hazelnut creamer ~ then gradually beat in the rest of the flour ~ then gradually beat in the milk ~ and last, beat in the nuts (if you're using them). (The reason you're gradually beating in the flour and milk is so that the flour doesn't puff into your face and the milk doesn't splatter back at you!) But, now you can scrape down the sides and the paddle and beat it on medium until it's thoroughly blended (then beat about 10-15 seconds more).
When well blended, spread evenly in your prepared pan. Give the pan a good whack on the counter, to break any air bubbles inside. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes (a toothpick should come out clean ~ I always test inside one of the cracks on top).
Optional GLAZE: Start with about 3/4 cup powdered sugar and a dash of nutmeg, whisking in HAZELNUT liquid coffee creamer 1 tsp at a time, until drizzle consistency. For sugar-free glaze: You could just whisk some sugar-free Hazelnut creamer into a few heaping TB of sugar-free vanilla canned frosting (although you can making sugar-free "powdered sugar" by sifting together 3/4 cup regular white Splenda with 1/4 cup Cornstarch ~ this will keep in your pantry)
NOTE: If you drizzle/spread it on the warm bread, it will be translucent. If you drizzle it on cooled bread, it will be opaque. I always drizzle on HOT bread ~ making sure to get the glaze into all the cracks on top, and down the sides of the bread (to keep the sides moist).
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