Banana Bread

On Monday, I had a chance to test a new Banana Bread recipe that I wanted to try. My recipe calls for Smart Balance Oil instead of butter, shortening or regular oil. Smart Balance Oil is not only a healthy alternative to other oils and fats, but it also provides 1140mg of Omega-3s per serving. I asked a friend to taste test and she didn't notice the difference. Now, even though I've substituted the butter in the recipe, it still has the yummy goodness of milk chocolate chips and chopped pecans. You can omit either one to your liking. Try this recipe, you won't be disappointed.

Banana Bread

2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Ripe Bananas mashed
2 Eggs
1/3 cup Smart Balance Oil
1/4 cup Evaporated Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Chopped Pecans
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper.
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, oil, milk and vanilla extract and mix well. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture making sure that all of the dry ingredients are incorporated with the wet ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips and the pecans.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes. After 50 minutes, check the center of the banana bread with a knife or a toothpick ( I use a wooden skewer). If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done.
Remove the bread from its pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

*TIP: When baking most things, a general rule to remember is to mix dry ingredients in one bowl, and wet ingredients in another. Also, it is best to always measure as accurately as possible instead of "eyeballing" the ingredients. Baking is fun, but those ingredients have to be accurate to get the best results. Happy Baking!