Monday, May 4, 2009

Toasted-Coconut Rum Banana Bread


I came home from work completely exhausted, put my keys and purse on the kitchen table, readying to settle in on the couch for the evening, and then instead realized there was going to be a change of plans as I stared annoyingly at my blue hobnail Fenton glass bowl of four very ripe bananas. Four of them! Doh! Why did I wait? Or more fairly, why did I buy so many bananas when I knew I couldn't eat them fast enough? Or maybe it's not my fault at all. Why does Mother Nature let bananas turn brown so quickly? :(

Back in November, I blogged about a similar experience where I came home to find very ripe bananas on my countertop and had to decide what to make with them. Back then, I chose not to be as predictable as banana bread, and instead made Banana Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. It was incredible.

This time, I decided I would make banana bread. But this is no ordinary banana bread. It's got the flavors of Jamaica with coconut and rum mixed in with the banana. And as exotic and unconventional a banana bread as the title conveys, it's still an easy bread to make. Beatrice Ojakangas continues to be an excellent source for recipes.


Toasted-Coconut Rum Banana Bread
Recipe by Beatrice Ojakangas in Quick Breads

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 3 medium)
1 cup flaked coconut, toasted 5-8 minutes in a 350 degree F oven

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan or three 5x3-inch loaf pans.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, rum, and almond extract. In another bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt together, then add to the creamed mixture. Blend in the banana and coconut. Turn into the prepared pan or pans. Bake 55 to 60 minutes for the large loaf or 45-55 minutes for the smaller loaves, or until they test done. Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then turn onto a rack. Makes one large or three small loaves.


Step-by-Step in Pictures

Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs, rum, almond extract, and dry ingredients...

Place your very ripe bananas in a bowl...

Mash them!

Here's your batter...

Pour into your well-greased pan...

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes (it took me about 55 min)...

Delicious cross-section with flecks of coconut...

4 comments:

Zach Landes said...

Looks GORGEOUS. Not a combination that I would have thought of, but really a great set of complementary flavors! send me some?

AJ said...

I'm curious- I'll b making a banana bread in a hurry on Sunday morning so I bought a mix {gasp!} but what would be your thoughts on mixing in some foreign elements like rum or coconut with something like that? Inquiring, inexperienced baking minds want to know.

Carolyn Jung said...

You're the only one I know who could come home exhausted from work and start baking banana bread. Hah! You are an inspiration to us all.

Marni said...

Zach - I'd rather you come home from London for some than me ship some to you. I need to create lots of temptations for you to return to the states!

AJ - I definitely think you can tweak the bread mix and make it your own. Rum will be an easy addition since it hardly changes the consistency of the batter. But with coconut, since that's a dry ingredients, if you add a significant amount, you'll need to add a little more liquid, maybe vegetable oil, or perhaps another mashed banana.

Carolyn - Haha! It's a blessing and a curse to be this way!

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