Goodbye 2016 and welcome 2017! Talking in cooking terms, this has been a banana bread year for me. And what a year it was! I discovered how delicious and versatile an easy quick-bread can be. You just have to love it! Now Christmas is coming and with it banana bread as inevitable Christmas morning breakfast by the fireplace while the kids are opening the presents. Choose one of these amazing recipes to be a part of your festive Christmas dinner. Perfect Christmas = family + snow + presents + banana bread.
Chocolate Banana Bread
This is not just a regular chocolate banana bread. No, sir. This is a true flavor explosion, perfect as both a family breakfast or a decadent cake. It calls for 6oz white chocolate chips, 1 cup chopped walnuts, 3 tablespoons rum, 3 oz. shredded unsweetened coconut and vanilla! To turn it into a cake, prepare a simple chocolate glaze, by melting some more white chocolate chips mixed with coconut oil. Cover the loaf richly!
Eggnog Banana Bread
The full title of this amazing recipe is Brown Butter Eggnog Banana Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze and it is all you could wish for Christmas! Prepare your own homemade eggnog with 4 eggs, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 pint whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, and a teaspoon of grated nutmeg. This is the kids-friendly version. For the adults, add 3 oz. booze of your choice, preferably bourbon, brandy or rum, or a mix of all of them, why not. The glaze is made with 4 ounces softened cream cheese 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons eggnog and 2 tablespoons brown butter.
Ginger Banana Bread
Combine the gingerbread and banana bread in one sweet delight! Spice this quick-bread with 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground ginger plus 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice. Don’t stop there. Prepare a thick frosting with cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and sprinkle some pecans on top. For a more festive appearance, cover in red and green sprinkles!
Mincemeat Banana Bread
Prepare your own homemade mincemeat by soaking raisins and currants in brandy and lemon juice for about 1 hour or until plumped up. Then drain and add suet, chopped almonds, diced apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the brandy at the end. Place in sterilized jars and leave for at least a fortnight. You will need 2 cups of the mincemeat in your banana loaf. Sift with powdered sugar on top to make it look “snowy”.
Red Velvet Banana Bread
This banana loaf has all the colors of Christmas. The red is obtained by adding one box of dry red velvet cake mix into the batter to replace the flour. The white comes from the cream cheese frosting and the green from the mint leaf used for garnish for each slice.
Cranberry Banana Bread
Prepare the traditional Christmas cranberry sauce with a juice of 2 clementines, 1 cup of cranberries, ½ cup light muscovado sugar, and 6 tablespoons of port and add it to your favorite banana bread recipe! Complement this loaf with a ½ cup of chocolate chips.
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