Nick Malgiere's Perfect Banana ( Walnut ) Bread

I have been looking for another easy banana bread recipe that doesn't contain too  much butter . Most recipes online calls for at least 10 T butter :P . Last time , I baked banana bread using Emeril's recipe , it taste good but a little bit greasy , due, I guess , of using 10 T butter . This recipe only use 8 T , and the result ? , one of the best I'd eaten so far . I didn't have any walnuts , so I used 1/2 cup hazelnuts and half cup dessicated coconut . Putting those coconuts adds more texture and slight chewiness that I really like .

In his Bake ! book , Nick Malgiere quote's " There are only two secrets to making perfecr banana bread : Use very ripe bananas with spotted or darkened skin and measure the quantity of mashed bananas. All too often , home bakers mash a couple of bananas and just throw the resulting quantity into batter - and usually it's either too much or too little . I like to add some chopped walnuts for texture ; you could add raisins , currants , or even shredded sweetened coconut. "

Makes one 9x5x4 inch loaf ,  about 16 slices

2 1/3 cups all purpose flour ( spoon into a dry-measure cup and level off )
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups peeled , mashed bananas , about 3 medium
8 T ( 113 grams ) melted butter , unsalted
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 cup walnut pieces , coarsely chopped and tossed with 1 T flour


* Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C . Grease loaf pan and bottom lined with a parchment or buttered wax paper
* In a large mixing bowl , stir together the flour , sugar , baking powder and salt;
* In another bowl , whisk the eggs to break them up , then whisk in the bananas , butter and vanilla one at a time , whisking smooth between additions;
* Pour the liquids into the bowl of dry ingredients and use a large rubber spatula to fold them in . Fold in the floured walnuts;
* Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top;
* Bake the bread until it is well risen and gloden in color and the point of a pairing knife inserted in the center emerges clean , 55 to 60 minutes ( mine was 1 hr & 10 min )
* Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes , then unmold , remove the paper and cool the loaf right side up