Pumpkin Banana Nut Bread

I love pumpkin and banana bread, but I’d never considered combining the two into one very luscious bread. Then my friend Erin (hi E!) sent me this yummy recipe from Nestle Toll House’s All-Time Favorite Cookie and Baking Recipes cookbook and the rest, as they say, is history!

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 (15-oz) can pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar (either light or dark will work)
1 cup (about 2 medium) mashed very ripe bananas
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped walnuts

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt in med. bowl. Combine pumpkin, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, bananas and vegetable oil in large mixer bowl; beat until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture; stir in nuts.

Spoon into two greased and floured 9x5-inch loaf pans. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 2 loaves.

Both Erin and I leave out the walnuts, but I think I might add them next time I make the recipe just to mix things up a bit.

Banana-Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Martha Stewart makes my mouth water.

Ahem. I mean, her recipe makes my mouth water. Hee.

I received this recipe in the mail as a housewarming gift when I notified several of her magazines I was moving. I managed to pawn off two dozen on the neighbors or I would have eaten all of them myself. I think next time I'll add a little more banana--it's very subtle in the recipe and I'd like to be able to taste it a bit more.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 large)
1 cup old-fashioned oats
8 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely cut into 1/4-inch chunks
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (the recipe calls for them to be toasted, but they taste just fine untoasted)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flours, salt and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside.

Put butter and sugars into bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add egg and vanilla; mix until combined. Mix in banana. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate chunks and walnuts.

Using 1-1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart.

Bake cookies until golden brown and just set, 12 to 13 minutes. Cool on sheets 5 minutes and transfer to wire rack to complete cooling.

Can be stored in airtight containers up to 2 days if not all eaten immediately.

Mom's Kickass Banana Bread

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed banana
1 tsp lemon juice
2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup raspberry or strawberry jam

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add in eggs. Mix in bananas and lemon juice. Add remaining dry ingredients. Add jam. Grease and flour tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Notes:

*I use Crisco as my vegetable shortening
*I always use a regular loaf pan instead of a tube pan. The bread turns out just as well.
*Use raspberry jam! You'll be glad you did.