Bananas Foster Bread

I have a question for you...

Do you have a favorite grocery store??

Yes? Awesome!

Next question...

Can you access said favorite grocery store??

Yes?? Lucky!

See...my favorite grocery store of all time is Wegman's. Wegman's is pretty much THE best grocery store EVER! I love it so!

But I've only ever seen Wegman's in the Northeast part of the country.

I miss Wegman's. Like...A LOT!

Sadly, since I currently live in the middle of nowhere. The "grocery store" I go to is....

Wally World!

Are you jealous??

No? No worries...I wouldn't be either.

Anyway. I have a point...really.

Since I go to Wally World pretty regularly I am constantly stopping by the magazine section. It's in between the door I come in and the place that I start in the store. I always go to the furthest end of the store and work my way back.

I am always on the lookout for new cooking magazines to catch my eye. I also always look for the new Food Network and Cooking Light magazines each month. Please don't ask me why I don't just get subscriptions because you will be disappointed with my answer.

So...at the beginning of this month I stopped by the magazine section and I saw the new Cooking Light. This issue was full of banana bread options. Yes!!

As I was walking away making a mental list of what I needed to get to make the banana breads in this magazine, I had to turn back because I realized I needed to get a copy for my buddy Ingrid. Ingrid loves bananas.

No. Seriously. She LOVES bananas. I think she would probably marry them if she could.

So I sent her this magazine and told her how much I wanted to make this bread! She quickly found the recipe and agreed. So we both made it.

I made mine to take to a friend Lori's house for her last dinner here. She was moving the next day and was having a "clean out my freezer" dinner party. Of course I had to take dessert. And I knew JUST the dessert to take!

The bread was moist...oh so moist. The taste of the Cognac was subtle but definitely gave this bread an added oompf. Is that a word? Hmmm....well it is now.

I ate 2 pieces of this bread in the same amount of time. It was really good. I will definitely be making this bread again.

Now, don't forget to head over to Ingrid's place and see what she thought of this bread. But let me show you how to make it first! Then you can go.

Let's bake!

Grab your ingredients: all purpose flour (I use unbleached), dark brown sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, unsalted butter, eggs, flaxseed meal, baking soda, ground allspice, Cognac, bananas (not pictured here...oops!) and powdered sugar.

Toss your mashed bananas, 5 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 3 tablespoons in a medium saucepan.

Cook the mixture until the butter melts and it all becomes bubbly. Remove it from the heat so it can cool.

While the banana mixture is cooling you can go ahead and get your dry ingredients ready. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, flaxseed meal, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice. Set aside.

By now the banana mixture should be pretty cool. Go ahead and pour that mixture into a mixing bowl. Add in the yogurt, the rest of the brown sugar and the eggs. Mix it all together well.

Now add in the flour mixture...

And mix until just combined.

Now...pour the batter into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.

And bake it up for about an hour. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack.

While the bread is cooling we will make the glaze. Toss the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with the remaining 1 tablespoon of Cognac into a small saucepan. Allow the butter to melt and the Cognac to cook for about 30 seconds.

Remove from heat and add in the powdered sugar.

You do not have to do this in a saucepan. Little Butt was going to enjoy this bread with us so I wanted to cook off the alcohol. Instead you can just melt the butter then add the Cognac and powdered sugar and mix well.

Drizzle the glaze over the warm bread.

Allow the bread to cool and the glaze to set. Slice. Serve. Enjoy!!

Okay. Now you can go check out how Ingrid liked this bread!

Bananas Foster Bread
Slightly adapted from Cooking Light

Printer Friendly Version

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (I used 3 bananas)
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar, divided
• 6 Tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/4 cup Cognac or dark rum, divided
• 1/3 cup plain fat free yogurt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used unbleached)
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed (flaxseed meal)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine banana, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 5 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons Cognac in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to bubble. Remove from heat to cool.
3. Whisk together flour, flaxseed, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice. Set aside.
4. Pour cooled banana mixture into large mixing bowl. Add yogurt, remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar and eggs. Beat on medium speed until well combined.
5. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture. Beat until just combined. 
6. Pour batter into greased 9x5 inch loaf pan. 
7. Bake 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.
8. Cool in pan 10 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.
9. Make glaze. Place remaining tablespoon of butter and tablespoon of Cognac in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar. Mix until sugar dissolves.
10. Drizzle glaze over warm bread.
11. Allow bread to cool and glaze to set. Slice. Serve. Enjoy!!