Banana & Apple Walnut Bread

I have a problem. I can follow a cake, bread or pie recipe with the best of’em. I can even create my own sweet concoctions—bacon and maple cupcakes, anyone?—but my problem is, I just can’t make them attractive.

I guess it’s something I’ve learned to live with since I’ve eaten many a meal or dessert that looks scrumptious but tastes like turtle dung. So even though my deserts might not please your eyes, they will certainly please your palate, unless you’re still waiting for your taste buds to come back due to years of cigarettes.

My goal wasn’t to make this a vegan bread but I had some unsweetened applesauce so I decided to use it instead of eggs. I actually hadn’t planned on making it at all but there was a Golden Delicious apple on its last legs and a few overripe bananas—it was hotter and more humid than normal this week—so I knew a tasty bread would be perfect.

I like my homemade bread moist (hence the applesauce) so instead of just dicing the apples I grated them using the large grate so you get the sweet apple taste with added moisture.

I substituted a few ingredients from my traditional recipe to keep the fat content down. But if you want the original you can use butter instead of olive oil and eggs instead of applesauce.

I don’t know why my bread always rises higher in the middle than the ends but it ALWAYS happens and frankly, it’s starting to piss me off. I grab my spatula and smooth the batter around and yet this still happens. So if any of you out there has any tips, please please, OH PLEASE do forward them on!

Servings: 10 (1 serving= 1 slice)

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

½ cup olive oil

¾ cup brown sugar

1 apple, peeled & grated

2 overripe bananas, sliced

¾ cup applesauce

½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Grease a 9×9 loaf pan
2. Preheat oven to 350° F.
3. Combine flour, salt and baking soda in one bowl.
4. In another bowl, mix oil and sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Stir applesauce into oil and sugar.
6. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix.
7. Stir in nuts and pour batter into pan.
8. Use spatula to smooth it out.
9. Bake 60 to 65 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. 

Eat it for breakfast with sunny side up eggs or enjoy it as a midday snack. I prefer to have it as a healthier dessert, but if you say “screw healthy” then don’t be afraid to pour a little chocolate glaze over it and do it up right!