Bourbon Banana Bread

By GwennW

Ingredients

• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 very ripe medium-large bananas
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 plus 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean-split in center & seeds scraped out.
• 1 Tablespoon bourbon (I used Maker's Mark)
• 1/2 cup whole buttermilk
• 2/3 cup toasted, chopped pecans
• 3/4-1 cup chopped chocolate (I used Hershey's Special Dark, chopped into chunks)

Details

Servings 10

Preparation

Step 1

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch baking loaf with Baker's Joy and set aside. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. Mix vanilla seeds with bourbon in a small bowl and set aside.

Melt butter over medium heat in a small, heavy bottomed pan. Cook butter until it begins to brown, swirling frequently to prevent burning. The butter is ready when it is amber in color and gives off a nutty flavor. Watch carefully, as it can go from ready to burnt in little to no time. Set butter aside to cool.

Peel and dice one banana. Mash remaining bananas in a small bowl and set aside. In a small skilled, heat 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar over medium heat until it begins to melt. Add the diced banana pieces and saute until well coated and carmelized. Scrape into a bowl and set aside to cool.

Beat eggs on medium speed for 1 minute. Add brown sugar and beat until well combined. Add mashed bananas, cooled browned butter & vanilla/bourbon mixture. Beat until mixed well. Scrape down the side of the bowl.

On low speed, pour in 1/3 of the flour mixture. Mix just until blended. Pour in 1/2 of the buttermilk and beat just until blended. Repeat with 1/3 more flour, remaining buttermilk & finished with the flour. Do not overbeat. Fold in pecans, carmelized banana pieces, and chopped chocolate. Spoon into prepared pan. Use an offset spatula to smooth out and even the batter.

Bake for 55 minutes then tent the top loosely with foil to prevent overbrowning. Continue baking, beginning to check at 1 hour. When a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, it is done. My oven took 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire wrack. Turn loaf out of pan onto wrack and cool completely. Enjoy!