Praline Banana Nut Bread.

Praline Banana Nut Bread

Praline Topping:

1 cup dark brown sugar

½ cup butter

¾ cup walnut pieces

Spray your bread pan with nonstick spray. Melt the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan, stirring constantly until sugar melts. Allow it to come to a boil continuing to stir. Continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in nuts. Spread topping in your prepared loaf pan. Set aside to cool.

Bread:

2 eggs beaten

½ cup melted butter

1/3 cup buttermilk or cream

1 full cup mashed bananas

1½ cups dark brown sugar

1¾ cups all purpose unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend together the bananas, eggs, buttermilk and butter. Sift together the dry ingredients. Add to the banana mixture. Stir in the walnuts. Mix well. Pour over praline topping. Bake one hour and check with cake tester to see if done. If comes out clean, the bread is done. If not, continue baking in 10 minute increments and checking with tester. When done, allow to cool in pan 15 minutes. Place a platter over the bread pan and invert the bread pan onto the platter. Let stand for about 5 minutes and then gently lift the bread pan off the loaf of bread. Don’t panic if some of the topping adheres to the pan. Simply scoop it out with a spatula and pat into place on the bread. It will set quite nicely.

Optional toppings:

(Proceed with banana bread recipe omitting the praline topping. When cool, top with one of the following. Also very, very good!)

Nutella Glaze:

1 tablespoon Nutella

1 tablespoon milk or cream

1 cup confectioners’ sugar sifted

Whisk ingredients until smooth and drizzle on top of banana bread.

Banana Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese softened

1 tablespoon butter softened

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar sifted

1 banana mashed

½ teaspoon vanilla

Blend ingredients in mixer til smooth. Add more confectioners’ sugar if needed to stiffen frosting. Frost the bread.