Easy Loafing

If you've been keeping up with this blog, I have used a few opportunities to change things up from time to time. I like to cook, I appreciate the hard work that goes into a well-cooked, well-prepared meal, and I tend to make good things at home. Tonight, I left hockey alone for a while as I am literally in the home stretch of this cold bug, and I'm feeling healthy enough to undertake a little baking. The image to the left? That's the pre-oven stage of the Panara Bread recipe for Peanut Butter Banana Bread!

I'll be honest: not a big sweet tooth on me. Cookies are about as much as I can handle without feeling ill from all the sugary icings and fillings. Because of this, I tend to like less sugary fare like the one featured today where the bananas fill in nicely for an insane amount of sugar when it comes to sweetness. Less processed sugar is good for all, right?

I will admit to adding a handful of chocolate chips to the recipe simply because the peanut butter-chocolate pairing goes so well with the peanut butter-banana combo, but it doesn't overwhelm by being Reese's Peanut Butter Cup-like sweet. It's just a pop of chocolate mixed in!

Anyway, the recipe for this Peanut Butter Banana Bread can be found on the Panara Bread website, and I like this recipe because it's a quick ten minutes of preparation time as opposed to some lengthy process. It's ten minutes of prep before popping it in the oven!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1.5 cups)

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350ºF. Coat an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. Beat the peanut butter, butter, and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time on medium speed, and then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the flour mixture on low speed. Fold in the mashed bananas. Add the chocolate chips if desired!
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes; then remove it to a rack to cool completely.

Don't rush the cooling process above as tempting as it may be. It's key in baking in the goodness and keeping the bread in proper loaf form. You may notice that the center area where the loaf has rounded may not be entire baked so that the toothpick test comes out clean. Be patient, keep an eye on the bread, and don't burn the ends!

Final product? It looks pretty tasty! I won't cut into it tonight, though. I'm going to set it out on the cutting board and let the scent of banana bread fill the house before I retire for the evening. Having made this once before, I know it tastes as good as it smells, and it's making my tummy rumble already!

Enjoy this recipe, folks. People will think you slaved over a stove to make this, but it'll be our secret that it's a mere ten minutes to get this delicious Peanut Butter Banana Bread made!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!