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Banana bread's how the cookie crumbled

It was a potential baking disaster.

A cookie recipe from a trusted source that mixed into a thin, runny batter-like dough.

My first thought was that I didn't use enough flour, so I double checked the recipe. Nope that wasn't the problem. Then I thought maybe I used too many bananas. Nope, that wasn't it either.

It is entirely possible that the batter might have baked into light, fluffy cake-like cookies. But I wasn't willing to risk wasting the ingredients and my time to find out. So I stirred in a cup of rolled oats, spooned the batter into my favorite loaf pan and baked it for an hour.

The result was some of the best banana bread I've ever made. It wasn't moist and sticky like so many banana breads. The texture was heartier and the salty, smoky and sweet combination of bacon, bananas, cinnamon and oats was a refreshing change from the standard.

Bacon Banana Bread

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling

Pinch salt

1/2 cup salted butter

1 cup PLUS 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided use

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 overripe bananas, peeled and mashed (see note)

1/2 pound of bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled

1 cup rolled oats

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 inch loaf pan with oil.

In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon and the salt.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and the 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions, and the vanilla.

Add half the flour mixture and mix until just combined, then add the mashed banana, followed by the remaining flour. Stir in the bacon and oats.

Spread batter in the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle top with remaining sugar and some cinnamon. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until loaf is golden brown and a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool thoroughly before slicing.

Makes 1 loaf.

Note: The skins on my bananas had turned completely brown.

Food on 08/20/2014

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