There's more than one way to skin a... banana.

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I've been closing in on the tail end of a cold and find myself craving still more comfort food (they DO to say feed a cold you know...). So when I stumbled across a sad brown banana going to waste in the fruit bowl, as well as a couple frozen ones in the freezer AND a tub of yogurt about to go off, I decided to devise a recipe to create a healthy, moist banana bread that would incorporate them all. 

I must say I am pleased with the results. :)

Banana Bread (with yogurt and other good stuff)

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 2/3 cup brown or raw sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 3)
• 1 tsp natural vanilla extract
• 1 cup plain organic yogurt

• 1 1/2 cups flour (You could use a mix if you like. I used 1 cup organic spelt, 1/2 cup unbleached organic)
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

optional:
• 1 cup chopped walnuts / 1 cup chocolate chips (or half a cup of each!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar (you may be tempted, but try not to eat it...) and add eggs, beating well.
Mash the bananas, then add them along with vanilla and yogurt and stir until well blended.

Incorporate dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and then add wet mixture and stir until incorporated. Stir in nuts or chocolate chips if you like.

Pour into appropriate sized pan*: 1 large buttered loaf pan 
(a 5" x 9" or a 4" x 11", or two mini ones) or 12 very full muffin tins (wouldn't it be funny if they made a baker's dozen muffin pan?). 

*I have decided that I am REALLY not a fan of glass loaf pans. I personally think it's best to avoid them because for me they have never yielded good results when making banana bread. If you must use one try decreasing the temperature by 25 degrees and increasing the cooking time by 10-15 minutes. 

Bake approximately 1 hour on the middle rack (out of 4 racks chose the 2nd one down) in oven, until you can insert a skewer and it comes out clean. Bake 20-25 minutes for muffins. Let cool, remove from pan (run a knife along the edges) and serve.


"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana."
- Groucho Marx

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