Better Banana Bread

It is not very often that I have the opportunity to make banana bread. Not because I lack the motivation to put overripe bananas to use, but rather they don't last long in my kitchen. I go through a bunch a week myself, while the banana my boyfriend packs in his lunch Monday may take up residence in his bag all the way to Friday. More often than not, I don't have the problem of brown, shriveled bananas on my counter top.

That is of course if I don't go to the store for something during the week and when I see those perfectly yellow crescents I go into Great Depression Mode and buy more just in case. It is after those times I end up with a few brown bananas.

Last week was one of those weeks. I got a little excited and decided that it was time to revamp a baking recipe. Baking recipes make me a little nervous, mainly because baking ingredients are science-based unlike typical cooking ingredients. Baking ingredients all play a specific role. They can be so specific that if you replace one ingredient with the wrong thing (or don't use enough of it), a super fluffy cake may become a super dense brick. Putting candles on that brick cake doesn't improve it either, you still have a bad cake disguised by frosting and fire.

The source recipe I used was from the Food Network for Flour's Famous Banana Bread. Click the link for their recipe and look below to see what I did.

Ingredients
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of Splenda Baking Sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup of lite cinnamon applesauce
2 small bananas, very ripe, mashed
2 tablespoons of light sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ounce of walnuts, chopped

Directions
Set oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the loaf pan with cooking spray.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Beat sugar and eggs with a whisk until light and fluffy. Drizzle in oil. Add mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients and nuts.

Pour into the loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Makes 10 servings.

Nutritional Breakdown:

Calories: 162
Fat: 1.4 grams
Carbohydrates: 32 grams
Protein: 3 grams