Image by JCarrot

Banana Bread from Selma Zuckerman

I got many thumbs up for this banana bread, which I made lower fat and just as tasty by substituting half of the butter for applesauce, and using non-fat yogurt instead of buttermilk or sour cream.

Butter or vegetable cooking spray, for greasing the pan

3 cups flour, plus extra for flouring the pan (I used white wheat flour)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1/3 cup (5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon) butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup applesauce

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

yolk of 1 large egg, at room temperature *save the white for breakfast!

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3 medium-sized bananas) *I think I used two, and it was just fine.

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup yogurt

3/4 chopped pecans or walnuts

3/4 raisins *I used chocolate chips.

1) Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a large 10 inch loaf pan.

2) Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a medium-size bowl. Set it aside.

3) Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well and scraping the bowl down after each addition. Blend in the mashed bananas and vanilla extract.Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the yogurt and applesauce in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixtures. Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips or raisins if using.

4) Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan and bake until it is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours (mine took less, so check often).

5) Transfer the pan to a wire rack, and cool for 10 minutes. Loosen the loaf by running a knife around the edges, remove it from the pan, and transfer it to the rack to cool completely.

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