Emeril's (Bam!) Banana Bread

With 4 rotting bananas that I couldn't toss into the garbage I decided to make a banana bread but I wanted to try a new recipe. So I headed over to the Food Network and found Emeril's recipe. It was unlike me not to alter this and that, and except for two minor things -- I used 2tbs less of butter and used Light Sour Cream because that was what I had in the fridge. Because this recipe uses cake flour I found the bread to be lighter than many others. This Banana bread should not be messed with!

Ingredients
10 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon butter (I used 8 Tbs. -- 1 stick)
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
1/2 cup sour cream (Plain or Greek yogurt works too)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly grease a 9 1/4 by 5 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan with 1 teaspoon of the butter. (I used Pam)

Puree the bananas, sour cream, eggs and vanilla in a food processor. (I mashed by hand)
Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fixed with a whisk attachment. Add the remaining 10 tablespoons butter and mix on medium-low speed until blended, about 30 seconds. Add the banana mixture in 3 batches, scraping the sides of the bowl and mixing on medium speed between each addition. (I did not add it in 3 batches) Fold in the nuts.

Pour into the loaf pan. Bake until lightly browned and bread bounces back to the touch, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire rack to cool completely.

For muffins line 18 muffin tins with muffin/cupcake wrappers and bake for 20 minutes.

Strawberry Banana Bread

Because Rebecca can't stand nuts and I also had a batch over overripe strawberries I decided I would also make a batch of strawberry banana bread. I followed Emeril's recipe substituting 3/4 cup of chopped strawberries for the nuts. I used unbleached enriched flour instead of the cake four and found no visible difference. I love the tartness that the strawberries added to the bread.