Going bananas.....

So I recently had a little surgical procedure done and have been banned to my home and told to "take it easy and rest."  Like for 4 weeks.  And for all my friends who know me, I'm not the best at just sitting for any length of time and sitting around makes me go bananas. But like my mama always said, "when life hands you a bowl of mushy bananas, make banana bread!"

I'm kidding.  She never said that.  But my head did.  And that's exactly what I did today to keep myself from swinging from the vines stir crazy....

Today I'm going to share with you my FAVORITE banana bread recipe of all time.  I got this from my buddy Mark's cookbook years ago, Preserving the Harvest. Hands down it is still the best banana bread recipe I've made and eaten.  And now I've adapted it to a gluten free and proud to be version that any monkey would love. 

  

Banana Bread:

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
6 ripe bananas, mashed
2 1/2 cups King Arthur Gluten Free Flour (or your favorite gf flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Xanthan Gum***

Optional: 
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts

Blend the sugar, butter and vanilla until smooth.  Add the eggs one at time and beat well after each addition.  Stir in bananas gradually.  Sift the dry ingredients together and fold gently into the banana mixture.  Pour into 2 well-greased loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. 

***General Tips for Using Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum in Gluten-Free Cooking

• Bread and pizza dough recipes: Add 1 teaspoon xanthan gum or guar gum per cup of gluten-free flour used in bread and pizza dough recipes
• Cake, muffin and quick bread recipes: Add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum or guar gum per one cup of gluten-free flour used
• Cookie and bar recipes: Add 1/2 teaspoon (or less) xanthan gum or guar gum per one cup gluten-free flour used

Xanthan gum can be purchased at your larger grocery chains (look in the baking aisle) or you can order online (Amazon carries it).  It's expensive, but you use so little of it, that it lasts a really really long time.

Why Xanthan gum?  It helps to thicken the batter and "glue" it together - replacing and mimicking what gluten does in wheat flour.  Much needed when converting your favorite gluten-filled recipes to a GFP2B one. 



My monkey loves his with chocolate chips!

What's your favorite GFP2B baked-good recipe?  Please share!