So I rarely have any leftover bananas, let alone enough to make things with almost overripe ones.  Imagine my glee when, after a Zumba Fitness event, I was able to take home a whole bunch of bananas!  I let them sit on my counter all week to ripen, and on Saturday, I made banana bread.  Having had your standard, run of the mill banana bread, I wanted to diversify a little, and decided to turn to last August's issue of Cooking Light, where they featured at least three or four variations on banana bread. 



The recipe comes together fairly easily and like most other quick breads, via the muffin method.  I think this bread is better after one, maybe even two days, which I know sounds crazy, but the first day I couldn't really taste banana or peanut butter.  The bread wasn't my favorite, though- it has that sort of low fat texture that can tend toward the more rubbery side of things.  It did, however, remain moist through about five days, when the last piece was eaten, and I liked the incorporation of the ground flax seed.  I am posting it because maybe you're looking for a lower fat alternative, or maybe you will love it.  To each his own, right?



I also learned the lesson the hard way that my oven is...hard to deal with.  I should have turned it down about 25 degrees lower than what it specified and then watched the time as well.  As it is, I baked it about 8 minutes less than what the recipe suggested.  At 50 minutes total baking time, the outside was done and too brown while the center was still very wet.  Sigh.  Either way, this isn't a bad recipe, so feel free to try it if you want your banana bread with a low fat twist. 

Peanut Butter Banana Bread
from August 2010 Cooking Light

Bread:

To prepare bread, combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugars; beat until blended.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool.

To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, and 1 tablespoon peanut butter in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over bread.