Jammin' Jamaican Banana Bread

Irie! How’s she going, mon? Got an interesting recipe for you today but first, fill your mug with some Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee and help yourself to a banana megamuffin, why don’t’cha, mon? Speaking of Jamaica...

Someone posted an intriguing recipe for Jamaican Banana Bread on Nong’s Facebook page. We had a BBQ coming up on Monday (2 days ago) so I thought I would make a loaf to take with us. Neat recipe! Here it is:

Jamaican Banana Bread

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 tablespoons tub light cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Dash of salt

1 cup mashed ripe banana*

1/2 cup  milk

2 tablespoons dark rum or 1/4 teaspoon imitation rum extract

1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind (zest)

2 teaspoons lime juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted(Optional)

1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons butter

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons dark rum or 1/8 teaspoon imitation rum extract

2 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted

2 tablespoons flaked sweetened coconut

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°. Coat an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray (or a little oil and flour it as I do); set aside.

Place 2 tablespoons softened butter and cheese in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add 1 cup sugar, beating well. Add egg; beat well.

Combine 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir with a whisk. 

Separately, combine banana, milk, rum, lime zest, lime juice and vanilla; stir well. 

Add flour mixture and banana mixture alternately to butter mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup pecans and 1/4 cup coconut.

Pour batter into prepared pan; bake at 375° for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Let cool slightly on a wire rack.

For the Sauce:

Combine brown sugar and 2 teaspoons each butter, lime juice, and rum in a saucepan; bring to a simmer. Cook 1 minute; stir constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons each pecans and coconut; spoon over loaf.

Two notes on the recipe:

1. I found it a little dry so next time I would add more bananas. I generally use three good-sized bananas.

2. I have already simplified the recipe above but, you know... the best banana bread recipe I had came from a crazy Aussie lady named Maz. She ran/runs a dinner theatre in Vancouver and has her own cookbook..in which she says "Dump everything in a bowl, mix it up all together and pour it into the loaf pan!"...none of this mix this separately and that in another bowl Doesn't make a whit of difference. It still tastes delicious and less dishes to wash up later!

Jamaican Banana Bread, mon. The coconut, lime and rum certainly add some unusual flavours. Would I make it again is always the big question for me? Yup...given the right occasion, I would!

See ya, eh!

Bob