Standing in my kitchen reprimanding myself for allowing another two bananas to go uneaten before they became "baking bananas", I noticed the blueberries and I had yet to touch as well. These were still in their prime, but I knew if I ignored them long enough they too would not be saved from the compost pile. Since I am always excited to buy fruits and vegetables, but often neglect them once they arrive in my refrigerator and become just scenery to my exhausted after work or early morning bleary just searching for coffee eye, I felt that what better use then to add the blueberries to the banana bread!
Here's the down and dirty for making the bread:
Ingredients:
2 medium sized well ripened bananas
4 oz softened butter (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste
2 teaspoons Amaretto (optional)
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of fresh blueberries
Process:
Prepare loaf pan- oil (butter) pan then flour it. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix and/or sift together in a medium sized bowl the dry ingredients, except the sugar (flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt). Put aside for the moment.
In a large bowl cream together the sugar and butter. Once well combined, add the banana (you can mash it beforehand or if ripe enough, just throw it in- it will mix up just fine), eggs, Amaretto and vanilla. Mix well- I use a hand mixer, but it isn't necessary, just faster.
Stir the dry ingredients into the banana mixture. Mix until it is combined, but don't over do it. Then fold in the blueberries. Pour batter into prepared pan and place in oven. Cook for approximately 1 hour, or until the center is cooked (toothpick test method).
Enjoy!
