Playing House: Banana Bread

Made Banana Bread for a friend's husband's birthday and decided to make an extra for Austin and another friend. Whenever we buy bananas I always end up with a couple that overripe before we get a chance to eat them. So, I freeze them and once I have 5 in the freezer I like to bust out the bakeware and make Banana Bread. I use Alton Brown's recipe, You may want to look up his Muffin Method to get the yummiest and nicest looking Banana Bread, here it is:

Banana Bread a la Alton Brown

Wet Works 1

3 to 4 overripe Bananas (I typically use 5)
1 cup sugar

Dry Goods

1 and 2/3 cups Flour
1/3 Oat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda

Wet Works 2

1 stick Unsalted Butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon Almond Extract (sometimes hard to find, I found some at Target)

Options

Nuts (Walnuts, pecans, or almonds) I usually use walnuts unless I have almonds on hand.

Directions:

1) Prep a loaf pan and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Place the bananas and sugar in a large bowl and mash together with a potato masher until smooth (this is impossible with all but the most overripe bananas.

3) Proceed with the Muffin Method. Combine Wet works 1 and then Wet Works 2 in separate bowls, then combine together before adding the Wet Works to the Dry Goods.

4) If you're using nuts, fold them in now. Then pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the temperature measures 210 degrees F, or your toothpick comes out clean. (Remember banana bread should come out of the oven a little more moist than most.

5) Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove the bread and allow it to cool on a rack completely before slicing

**Tightly wrapped the bread should keep at room temp for 5 days. You can also use this recipe to make banana muffins, it makes about 12.