Banana Bread ~ with a Twist

Every time I go to Costco, I grab a bag of bananas.  I love them when they are still a little green and have a bit of a bite to them - and I have the best intentions of eating many in that perfect state of tastiness.

However, after they become ripened to a deep yellow... and then freckles start to appear, I will have nothing to do with eating them in that "state".  Dave gets excited about that state because it means banana bread, his personal favorite, is in the not-too- distant future.

Today has been one of those days.  It's my day off, I had a bunch of ripe bananas and have very little on the To-Do list.  After some quick cleaning, I grabbed the cookbook and pulled out the necessary ingredients.

In our house, we've tried to eat a little healthier in the last few months: less sugar, more organic fruits & veggies and more whole grains.   I use a recipe from a Splenda cookbook, but make it even healthier by replacing the all-purpose flour with 100% whole-wheat flour (and some dough enhancer to make it fluff up nicely).  To some, this hearty recipe may sound unappealing, but I've tried it out on many people who are pleasantly surprised by the moist, nutty goodness and the rich flavor of the bananas.

Banana-Walnut Bread

(Recipe courtesy of The Splenda World of Sweetness)

Recipe Tip:  This banana bread is good for you in many ways.  The bananas supply potassium and dietary fiber, and you'll get omega-3 fatty acids from the walnuts.  What you won't get is a lot of cholesterol as canola oil and buttermilk stand in for butter.  Good banana bread starts with well-ripened bananas, so hold off making this until your fruit is speckled all over - but not black, as black bananas give baked goods an "off taste".

INGREDIENTS

• Nonstick cooking spray for the pan
  
• 1 1/3 c whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp dough enhancer (leave me a comment if you need the recipe for this amazing stuff!)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 c Splenda (granulated) - or unsweetened applesauce, if you prefer
• 1 1/4 c very ripe bananas, mashed (from ~4 large bananas)
• 1/3 c buttermilk (I use non-fat milk + 1 tsp vinegar)
• 1 T canola oil
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 c walnuts, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350F.  Lightly spray the inside of an 8 1/2" X 4 1/2" loaf pan with the cooking spray.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.  Add in the Splenda (if using applesauce, add in the next step).  Combine the bananas, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla in another bowl and mix well.  Add to the dry mixture and stir until just combined.  Stir in the walnuts.  Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
3. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean (45-55 minutes).  Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack.  Invert the loaf onto the rack, remove the pan and let cool completely.  Cut into slices and serve.