Simply put, the best banana bread in the world! Filled with brandy-soaked raisins, toasted walnuts, and almond paste, topped with a streusel topping and drizzled with glaze!
Ingredients:
Banana bread
• 1 – 2/3 cup of flour + more for coating the loaf pan
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 1/2 tsp of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/4 cup of sour cream
• 4 overripe bananas
• 2 oz of almond paste, crumbled
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of light or dark brown sugar
• 1 stick of butter, room temperature +more for greasing the loaf pan
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of toasted walnuts
• 1/2 cup of raisins, soaked in brandy, drained and mixed with a little flour
Streusel topping:
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 2 Tbs of cold butter, cut into small pieces
*Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, rub with your fingers til the butter is pea-sized
Glaze:
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp of vanilla
• 2 tsp of milk or enough for the desired consistency
*Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°
Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 4-5 minutes.
Grease a 9×5 loaf pan with butter, coat with flour, shake out the excess.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a medium bowl, using a masher, combine the sour cream, bananas, almond paste, and the vanilla.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the brown sugar and butter until fluffy, then add in the eggs and beat until well combined.
Add in the banana mixture and beat until well mixed.
Now add the flour mixture a little at a time and beat until just combined.
Scrape down the sides during mixing. Next, add the nuts and beat until combined.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the raisins.
Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan.
Sprinkle with the streusel topping and bake for 55 -60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Cool on a rack for about 20 minutes, loosen the edges with a knife and turn upside down to loosen.
When cooled, drizzle with the glaze.
Note to cooks:
If you don’t have overripe bananas, here’s a handy trick, just put them on a foil-lined baking sheet (they may leak a little) and bake them in a 300-degree oven for about 15 – 20 minutes, they will turn totally black and you will have very soft bananas.
