Banana, Raisin & Almond Bread

Banana, Raisin and Almond Bread

I have to be honest and say, “I just love to bake!” Working with my mother some forty years ago, every Sunday was “bake day.” Out would come the mixing bowls, pots, pans, scone cutters, pastry brushes, and cake tins. Those were always followed by the flour, butter, eggs, and lots of fruit and vegetables freshly picked from my father’s backyard garden. The fun would begin as my brother Michael, sister Julie, and I were given jobs to do like wash and peel the vegetables and mix the sugar and butter together. Always, our Mam begged us to wash our hands first.

She would make all of our favorites, bacon and egg pie, quiche Lorraine, sausage rolls, and apple and blackberry pie. She would even make Victoria sandwich cake or her world-famous chocolate cake. We would all die for a slice of my mam’s chocolate cake. It was moist dark chocolate sponge with freshly whipped heavy cream scented with vanilla, all topped with thick dark chocolate frosting. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Now, I get my boys involved, not every Sunday as they have friends around and sports to play. When I can I have them by my side, we make something simple and special that we can all enjoy like banana, raisin and almond bread. With 15 minutes to prepare and an hour in the oven, you have a real loaf of comforting bread you can slice and enjoy with the entire family.

As far as nutrition, you do have sugar and butter in this recipe. It is one loaf that is cut into 10 or 12 slices that is not filled with added preservatives, colorants, and artificial flavorings. With whole wheat flour, banana, almonds, and raisins, this loaf has a lot less sugar than a can of regular soda and a lot less fat than a doughnut.

Bananas have on average 422 milligram of potassium per piece of fruit. That’s nothing to sneeze at. Potassium has been shown to help prevent kidney cancer. Almonds are rich in monounsaturated fat, which is heart healthy, contain about six grams of protein per ounce, and a hefty three grams of dietary fiber. They also have phosphorus and vitamin E. Raisins are high in phenols, plant compounds that have repeatedly been shown to have antioxidant activity to help prevent damage caused to cells in the body by free radicals.

Banana, Raisin and Almond Bread
1 Loaf

Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon almond milk
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup raisins
¼ cup chopped almonds

How to make:
Preheat the oven to 325◦F. Lightly butter a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add one egg, and beat well into the mixture.

In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk and cinnamon. In another bowl, sieve together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
Add the banana mixture to the creamed sugar and butter mixture. Beat until combined. Add half the dry ingredients. Mix well until the flour disappears, and then beat in the final egg followed by the remaining flour. Beat until smooth, and then fold in the raisins and almonds.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Invert onto a rack, and cool completely before slicing.