Making Banana-Strawberry Bread

by Julia Hanna, Guest Blogger

Banana-strawberry bread is essentially taking a classic banana bread recipe, and just adding a few unexpected ingredients for flair.  Also, since some people are allergic to nuts, I thought this recipe might be useful for people who want to be cautious when baking.  I love bananas and strawberries, so this bread has a nice flavor combination.  Just omit the strawberries and add nuts if you prefer a more traditional banana bread.  The great thing about banana bread is you can tweak the ingredients with some leeway, and still have a very nice loaf to enjoy with coffee or tea.

Ingredients:

* 6 ripe bananas
* 3 diced strawberries
*½ cup of butter or vegetable oil (this time I used butter)
*½ cup of sugar
*1 teaspoon baking soda
*½ teaspoon of cinnamon
* 2 cups of flour
*½ teaspoon of salt (I omit the salt)
* two eggs
* a bit of crushed mint (optional)

Procedure:

Step 1:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit so it will be ready to go after making the banana bread mixture.

Step 2:

Mash all of the bananas with a fork or a potato masher until these form a puree.  A food processor can also be used to make this process more efficient.

Step 3:

Dice-up three strawberries and mix these into the bananas.

Step 4:

Mix the cinnamon into the mashed fruit.

Step 5: 

Add softened  butter or oil to the bananas-strawberries and mix this in thoroughly.  I used butter for the last batch of banana bread, and I have to admit it gave it a very rich taste.  

Step 6:

Slowly mix in the flour.  For instance, I mixed in 1/3 cup at a time so it would be fully incorporated, and not too lumpy.  However, try not to over mix the batter because leaving a few lumps ensures the bread is moist rather than tough after baking.

Step 7: 

Mix the baking soda into the dough.  Do not forget this step because your bread will not rise without it!

Step 8: 

Add the sugar and mix it into the batter.

Step 9:

Crack open and mix two eggs into the banana bread dough.

Step 10:

Add a bit of crushed mint and incorporate it into the dough, if desired.

Step 11:

Pour the banana bread batter into an oiled baking dish, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour, or until a tooth pick comes out clean.  Ovens can vary, so monitor the pumpkin bread as it is baking.  

Step 12:

Let the banana bread fully cool before slicing it because if will hold up better this way.