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Orange Spice Banana Bread & Muffins. The BEST Banana Bread-ever! Moist & flavorful with toasted pecans, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg & caramelized bananas. Simply Sated
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Orange Spice Banana Bread

The BEST Banana Bread & Muffins - ever! Moist & flavorful with toasted pecans, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg & caramelized bananas. ------------------ Very slightly adapted from Baking Illustrated, Banana Bread.
Course Breakfast, Quick Bread
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 9 -inch loaf or 12 muffins
Author Susie Gall

Ingredients

  • Yields: 1 loaf pan 9x5x3 or 12 muffins
  • *See notes for variations.
  • ----------------------------------
  • 2 cups 10 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour *see note
  • cups pecans or walnuts, chopped and toasted
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup dark brown sugar packed
  • 2 tablespoons orange zest freshly grated
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 3 large bananas 1½ cups, very ripe, brown-speckled - mashed
  • 2 bananas ripe & ready to eat (to place on top of bread)
  • ¼ cup plain yogurt or sour cream
  • 2 large eggs slightly beaten
  • 6 tablespoons butter unsalted, melted and cooled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Demerara or coarse, raw sugar (to sprinkle on top)

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position.
  2. Preheat oven to 350F.
  3. Grease loaf pan or muffin tin - dust with flour and tap out excess.
  4. Place chopped nuts on baking pan and toast nuts until fragrant, 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
  5. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and toasted nuts in a large bowl.
  6. Combine sugars and orange zest in a separate bowl then add to flour mixture and mix well.
  7. With a wooden spoon, combine mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, melted butter and vanilla.
  8. Use a rubber spatula to lightly fold the banana mixture into the flour/sugar mixture just until combined. The batter should look chunky and thick.
  9. Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan or muffin tin.
  10. Thin-slice two ripe (but NOT overripe) bananas and, if making bread, decorate the top of the banana mixture to your choosing. If making muffins, place 1 banana slice on the top and in the middle of each filled muffin tin. Press down gently.
  11. Liberally sprinkle the entire top of muffins or bread with coarse, Demerara (or raw) sugar and cinnamon.
  12. Bake loaf of bread at 350F for 55 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
  13. Bake muffins at 350F for 18-10 minutes.
  14. (If bananas need more caramelization, take bread/muffins out of oven and set oven to broil.
  15. Sprinkle bread/muffins with more coarse, raw sugar and cinnamon.
  16. Set under broiler for 1-2 minutes until bananas are desired color. Watch closely so bananas/muffins don't burn.)
  17. Cool bread/muffins in pan for 5 minutes then place on a cooling rack.
  18. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
  19. The bread/muffins will keep, on the counter, in an airtight container, up to 3 days.
  20. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*Note: There can be discrepancies in the number of ounces per cup of flour.  Here is an article, by Cook's Illustrated, explaining why/how that can happen. 

*Variations | b]Banana-Chocolate[/b] Bread: reduce sugar by 3 tablespoons and mix 1/2 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips into dry ingredients. Original Banana Bread[/b]: omit cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest. | Banana-Coconut Bread: Spread 1/2 cup sweetened, flaked coconut and 1 cup, chopped macadamia nuts on baking sheet. Toast at 350F for 5-6 minutes until golden brown. Omit the pecans/walnuts.