Sometimes a twist makes all the difference

Instead of just mashing the bananas for my standard banana bread recipe, I went a little different.

Sautéed with butter and brown sugar, a splash of rum, then WOOSH! Flame Away!

Makes my every day banana bread go from a good loaf, to an amazingly moist bread with a touch of caramel in it.


Banana Bread
makes 2 loaves or 45 mini muffins

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
4 ripe, mashed, ripe bananas
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp rum

Preheat oven to 350F and grease two 9x5 loaf pans, or 2 trays of mini muffin pans.

In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Add in the eggs, oil and vanilla, mixing lightly to combine.

Heat a non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the butter and allow to melt slightly before adding the brown sugar. Mix together well before adding in the 4 mashed bananas. Cook together, allowing to bubble and brown and reduce slightly, stirring fairly often. When the bananas have reached a nice, thick, caramel consistency, add the rum, mix quickly, then turn off the heat. Ignite the alcohol, burning it off but being careful not to burn yourself (or the kids who come running into the room to check out what smells so good.)

When all the rum has been flamed off, add the bananas to the bowl and mix in.

Either divide the batter between the two loaf pans, or scoop into the muffin trays.

If making bread, bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes, rotating the pans after 25 minutes. Check the bread with a cake tester or toothpick (or a dry piece of spaghetti works well). You may need to bake for longer, if the tester does not come out clean. Baking time may take up to 1 hour and that's okay.

If making mini muffins, bake for approximately 10 minutes, checking at 8 minutes.

When the tester comes out clean, for either the bread or muffins, remove from the oven to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.

Good warm or cold, with or without butter.