Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [148]
Remove the pan or the cups from the oven. Be careful: they’re hot. Divide the batter among them, filling each about two-thirds full.
Bake until puffed, brown, and crunchy on top, about 40 minutes. Do not open the oven during the first 30 minutes of baking. Serve at once; popovers are unsuitable for storage.
Banana Bread
We make our banana bread with walnut oil for a nutty taste without any nuts. Of course, you can always add them—see the variations. For a deeper taste, use toasted walnut oil, found in specialty or gourmet markets. Makes 1 loaf
1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting the pan
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons walnut oil, plus additional for greasing the pan.
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3 large, very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed in a small bowl
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F. Dab a little oil on a paper towel; lightly grease a 9 × 5 × 3-inch loaf pan. Add a little flour and coat the interior evenly but lightly by turning and tilting the pan; tap out any excess.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl until uniform.
Beat both sugars and the walnut oil in a large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed, until smooth and creamy, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the bananas and vanilla until smooth.
Scrape down and remove the beaters. Fold in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula, just until there are no white streaks or patches in the dough but not until smooth—there may be some floury graininess visible. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it evenly to the corners.
Bake until lightly browned, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour and 5 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then unmold and continue cooling on the rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
To store: Cool to room temperature, then seal in a large plastic bag for up to 3 days at room temperature or freeze for up to 3 months.
Variations: Add ½ cup walnut pieces, pecan pieces, or chopped cashews with the baking soda.
Add 2/3 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips with the baking soda.
Substitute 5 tablespoons cool unsalted butter, cut into chunks, for the walnut oil.
Substitute almond oil for the walnut oil; add ¼ teaspoon almond extract with the vanilla.
Add ½ teaspoon maple or rum extract with the vanilla.
Add 1 teaspoon finely grated orange or lemon zest with the vanilla.
Lemonade
Bread
Frozen lemonade concentrate makes this quick bread quicker. You’ll need a blender to emulsify the concentrate. Makes 1 loaf
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting the pan
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick), melted and cooled, plus additional solid butter for greasing the pan
½ cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed (do not use low-calorie or diet concentrate)
¼ cup regular or low-fat buttermilk (do not use fat-free)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour a 9 × 5 × 3-inch loaf pan, making sure the corners are coated. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Place the lemonade concentrate, melted butter, buttermilk, egg, zest, and vanilla in a large blender or food processor; cover and blend or process until smooth. Pour over the flour mixture; stir with a wooden spoon until a corn bread–like batter forms. Spread into the prepared pan.
Bake until lightly browned, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean, about