Banana-Nut Bread

This is the first recipe I have tried from my newest cook book: The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book: The essential recipe collection for today's home baker. I was so excited to add this monster of a baking cook book as well as excellent baking reference book to my collection. I had a few bananas left over from my Banana Coconut Tres Leches Cake and I decided to try a new banana bread recipe.

Crunchy Crusty Outside, Moist Fluffy Inside

I was a little nervous to try this recipe because it called for buttermilk. I am not a fan of buttermilk and i tend not to favor food made with it. As a result of my dislike of buttermilk, I did not have any on hand and could not justify buying some for 1/2 cups worth, so I used the book's substitute. Through making the buttermilk substitute I learned that next time I will use yogurt instead as the "buttermilk" mixture did not seem to turn out right and I think effected the taste of the bread. The bread had a subtle tangy taste to it, but more noticeable than from buttermilk. I was not 100% pleased with the bread, as you would guess since I do not like buttermilk, but my family who does like products made with buttermilk said it was an excellent banana bread. The texture turned out wonderful, it was moist and fluffy with a wonderfully crunchy outside. I will give this recipe another go the next time I have left over bananas using yogurt in place of the buttermilk and I will post the differences if any I find!

Banana-Nut Bread:
(Makes one 9x5in loaf)
6 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
1 c sugar
3 large eggs
2-3 mashed bananas
1/2 cup buttermilk (or substitute*)
2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c  chopped nuts of your choice (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour 9x5in loaf pan.
2. Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add bananas and eggs, beat until smooth. Add buttermilk and beat until just combined.
3. Stir together dry ingredients excluding the chopped nuts. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture just until combined. The batter will be slightly lumpy.
4. Pour the batter into prepared pan, not filling more than 2/3 full. Bake 55-50 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool bread 5 minutes, then turn out onto cooling rack to finish cooling.

*Buttermilk substitute (for 1 cup or 8oz):
1 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or 1 cup plain yogurt

1. Stir the milk and lemon juice. The milk will start to curdle leaving small granular lumps along the side of the bowl.