Jacked Up Banana Bread

courtesy of Smitten Kitchen

This afternoon I almost tossed three overripe bananas into the trash while doing a quick kitchen clean up before our holiday travels.  Instead I opted to try out a new recipe and bake with the little lady.  She is quickly learning the art of measuring, scooping, pouring, and stirring.   The combination of spices creates a tantalizing aroma while the bread bakes, filling the kitchen with the comforting scents of butter, cinnamon and banana.

Ingredients:

3 to 4 ripe bananas, mashed

1/3 cup melted salted butter

3/4 to 1 cup light brown sugar (depending on the level of sweetness you prefer)

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon bourbon (optional; we opted out.)

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt (or two if you have little hands helping you)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

pinch of ground cloves

1 1/2 cup of flour

handful of chocolate chips (if you prefer it extra sweet like your sous chef)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  With a wooden spoon, mix melted butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.  Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla and bourbon, then the spices.  Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in.  Add the flour last and mix.   Pour the mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan.  Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a tester comes out clean.  Cool on a rack.  Slice, serve and enjoy!