I am back with yet another banana bread recipe! This time, the special ingredient is hazelnut and it might just be the best one yet. When I saw it in the latest edition of Milk Street Journal, I had knew to make it. I love Milk Street because not only are there amazing recipes from all over the world, there are also back stories on each one of them. This recipe for banana-hazelnut bread was crafted by Ruth Barry who grew up in the Scottish highlands. All her childhood, she found herself in her neighbor's kitchen, whose warmth drew her in and inspired her to open her own bakery. She created this recipe, omitting dairy and eggs because the loaf still comes out moist due to the oil from the hazelnuts.
This vegan loaf is perfect for anyone looking for a sweet but healthy treat. My grandmother enjoyed the slice we brought her with some tea whereas I have just been munching all morning, and either way, it is a great change of pace to any morning routine.
One of the most exciting parts about this recipe for me is the fact that I got to use our new food processor! Before our new Cuisinart, I had been using a smaller 1 cup chopper that was frustrating to work with because it could only handle so much at a time. The 6 quart one that I now have is a total game changer! It made it so easy to be able to throw in all of the ingredients at the same time, rather than having to rotate through them like I would have to with the littler one.
I had never worked with hazelnuts before, but I definitely will in the future! I have some left over, so I am thinking maybe homemade Nutella? I struggled to remove all of the skin from the hazelnuts after they went into the oven, but I got some off and the rest can't hurt. It is an area of improvement for me to work on with the Nutella recipe!
Be sure to check out my other banana bread recipes too if you have some ripe bananas hanging out on the counter! Just search bananas in the upper right search bar and a bunch will pop up!
Yields: 1 9-inch loaf pan Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 1/2 hours
Ingredients ~
3/4 cup hazelnuts
1 3/4 cups cake flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (from 3 to 4 large bananas)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup Grapeseed or other neutral oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp Turbinado sugar or white sugar
Ingredients ~
Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Put the hazelnuts in a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and toast in the oven until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Cool to room temperature. If the nuts are skin-on, rub them in a clean kitchen towel to remove as much of the skins as possible (it’s fine if some of the skins remain). Roughly chop ¼ cup of the hazelnuts and set aside.
Mist the loaf pan with cooking spray, then line it with an 8-by-14-inch piece of kitchen parchment or foil, allowing the excess to overhang the long sides of the pan. Mist the parchment or foil with cooking spray.
In a food processor, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and remaining ½ cup hazelnuts. Process until the nuts are finely ground, 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, then return the food processor bowl and blade to the base.
To the processor, add the bananas, white sugar, oil and vanilla. Process until smooth, creamy and aerated, about 30 seconds. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and fold with a silicone spatula until just combined. Transfer to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle evenly with the Turbinado sugar and chopped hazelnuts. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then lift the loaf out of the pan using the parchment or foil. Set the bread directly on the rack and cool completely. Peel off and discard the parchment or foil before slicing.
Recipe From: Milk Street
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