Banana Bread Man’s Banana Bread

This bread is inspired by the “Banana Man”, a wildly eccentric character that supported himself by the sale of his bread off the back of his bicycle in Key West, Florida. It is by far the best recipe for a “special” banana bread treat.

• Ready In: 1 hr 50 mins
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 1⁄3 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 1⁄3 cup cashews, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
• 1  cup  packed dark brown sugar
• 2  extra-large eggs
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 cup dark rum
• 2  cups  mashed bananas (4 to 5 Medium banana)
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3  tablespoons plain yogurt or 3  tablespoons sour cream
• 1⁄2 cup  semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1  cup pitted dates, chopped
• 1⁄3 cup dried cherries
• 1⁄3 cup  diced dried papayas or 1⁄3 cup apricot

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease and flour an 8.5” – 4.5” loaf pan.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda.
4. In a large bowl beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the bananas, vanilla extract, rum and spices. Beat until blended.
5. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the yogurt to the batter, beating until fluffy. Fold the remaining ingredients into the batter.
6. Spoon the batter into the pan; bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 70 minutes until the bread pulls away slightly from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted comes away clean.
7. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the loaf onto a rack, remove the pan, then turn the loaf right side up to cool completely.