moosewood banana bread

After moving cities, states, over oceans to new continents - there and back again, I've found myself with Mollie Katzen's original 1977 edition of Moosewood Cookbook.

My mother, by nature a vegetarian through the 80's, moved vegan in the 90's, must have first owned this book - her name perfectly scrolled on the inside cover.



moosewood cookbook's banana Bread
with chai spices
recipe slightly adapted from Mollie Katzen
makes 2 loaves

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/3 cups brown sugar, packed
3 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, plus 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 1/2 cups mashed, ripe banana, plus 2/3 cup black coffee (pureed together)

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

chai spices not in the original recipe:
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Beat wet mixture in a large bowl, beginning with sugar and butter, adding eggs one at a time.  Add remaining ingredients and beat until light in color.

Sift dry mixture together twice.

Add flour mixture and mashed banana alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour (flour - banana - flour - banana - flour).

After each addition mix gently to combine, but do not beat or otherwise overmix.

Generously butter two loaf pans and sprinkle with sesame seeds (I omitted this step).  Alternately, I chose to omit the sesame seeds and sprinkle poppy seeds on top of the poured batter, as advised in Mollie Katzen's carrot cake recipe on the adjoining page.  Divide batter and bake 40-50 minutes in a 350 degree oven.