Yum-diddlicious!

There are those edibles you see as staples. There are soooo many recipes all making the same ‘thing’ but only one that can be THE one. For me, one of those must-have regulars is banana bread….and the must do recipe is “Banana Bread with Pecans” from Tyler Florence (www.foodnetwork.com).

Let’s start with the pecans. This is my addition to the recipe: TOAST the pecans first. Simple, of course, but oh so wonderful. Do you have a Pampered Chef bar pan? Spread out a single layer of pecans (shelled, of course) and nuke ‘em for 6 min (the unique nature of PCs bar pans will toast the bottom side too!). You’ll have perfectly toasted pecans….so perfect you won’t be able to keep your fingers out of em (especially still warm…mmmmmmmmm…..). So, with pecans in hand (and some in your mouth) here’s the recipe

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour


1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda


1/2 teaspoon salt


4 overripe bananas


1 cup sugar


3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled


2 large eggs 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped


Confectioners' sugar, for dusting


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together for a good 3 minutes; you want a light and fluffy banana cream. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla; beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated; no need to overly blend. Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Give the pan a good rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.

Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Don't get nervous if the banana bread develops a crack down the center of the loaf; that's no mistake, it's typical. Rotate the pan periodically to ensure even browning.

Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes or so, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Toast the slices of banana bread, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve.