Whole Grain Banana Bread Recipe-February 2024-www.zdask.com

　　This recipe could almost be labeled a health bread, except that it tastes too good. It’s packed with a generous quantity of bananas, plus an assortment of mix-and-match dried fruit. Spread the bread with any of our fruit butters (pages 270–272) and serve at a fall or winter brunch.

Ingredients

makes one 8 x 4 x 3-inch loaf

　　1/2 cup buckwheat flour

　　1/2 cup brown rice flour

　　1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

　　2 extra-large eggs

　　1/2 cup vegetable oil, preferably canola

　　2 1/2 large very ripe bananas, peeled and cut into large chunks

　　1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

　　1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

　　1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1 cup diced mixed dried fruit, such as raisins, apricots, prunes, apples, or cherries

　　1/2 cup chopped walnuts

　　1 tablespoon honey

Step 1

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour an 8 x 4 x 3-inch loaf pan, tapping out any excess flour.

Step 2

Combine the buckwheat flour, brown rice flour, and baking powder in a large bowl and set aside.

Step 3

In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, bananas, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Purée until smooth. Add the dried fruit, walnuts, and honey. Pulse just to combine.

Step 4

Add the flour mixture to the batter in the food processor. Pulse a few times, just until the flour is incorporated.

Step 5

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the loaf for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top of the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Step 6

Remove the loaf from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Use a sharp knife to loosen the edges of the loaf from the pan, and cool in the pan for another 10 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.