Cardamom Banana Bread French Toast

Cardamom Banana Bread French Toast

French toast like you’ve never had it! Cardamom Banana Bread French Toast is a yeasted bread loaded with bananas and pecans.  Making it a delicious take on traditional french toast.  The yeasted banana bread is like regular bread but with mashed bananas like a banana loaf.  It’s slightly heavier than regular bread but not as dense as a banana loaf giving you banana loaf taste without being too heavy.  The resulting bread is also nutty and not overly sweet, it nicely soaks up the eggs and cream without becoming too soggy.

The idea of a yeasted banana bread comes from the book Spilling the Beans.  A book that I am currently a little obsessed with at the moment I will admit. I  found the book by accident one day on the way to a friends. It was in a box of free cook books on someones front lawn. My husband saw the sign and suggested we take a look.  I remember grumbling about not wanting someones old books but I went over anyway.  Good thing I did!!  I walked away with about 10 cookbooks that day, but Spilling the Beans is my favourite of the pile.  Authored by Julie Van Rosendall and Sue Duncan, it’s a great display of how to use beans in a variety of different ways.  A few certainly surprised me, in a good way.

We’ve all heard it “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” and bananas are a great way to start your day right. Their numerous nutritional benefits and versatility are why bananas are one of my favourite fruits. Want to know more? Well-Being Secrets has an amazing article that will have you bananas for bananas. Check it out at http://www.well-beingsecrets.com/bananas-health-benefits/

 

I love this recipe because the bread is not only great for french toast, it’s terrific toasted with butter and honey or peanut butter, oh ya!  Have your french toast on the weekend and toasted banana bread on Monday.  Without a doubt it’s a sweet and simple way to start the week.  Enjoy!

Recipe Source:  Inspired by Yeasted Banana Bread, Spilling the Beans

 

 

Cardamom banana bread, laced with cardamom, studded with pecans, dunked in eggs and cream and fried golden.
Cardamom Banana Bread French Toast
Print Recipe
A yeasted banana bread laced with cardamom and studded with pecans, made into golden french toast.
    Servings
    8 slices
    Servings
    8 slices
    Cardamom banana bread, laced with cardamom, studded with pecans, dunked in eggs and cream and fried golden.
    Cardamom Banana Bread French Toast
    Print Recipe
    A yeasted banana bread laced with cardamom and studded with pecans, made into golden french toast.
      Servings
      8 slices
      Servings
      8 slices
      Ingredients
      Yeasted Banana Bread with Cardamom
      French Toast
      Servings: slices
      Instructions
      Yeasted Banana Bread with Cardamom
      1. Preheat oven to 85℉. Mash bananas in the bottom of a stand mixer bowl, add water, honey and yeast. Allow to ferment for 10 minutes. Stir in 1 egg, butter, milk powder, salt, cardamom, and 2 cups of flour. Add an additional 1/2 cup flour and using a dough hook, knead until flour is incorporated. Knead in flour by the 1/4 cup ensuring flour is absorbed after each addition before adding more. Add flour and continue to knead until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Add pecans and knead until evenly distributed. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and allow to rise at 85℉ or room temperature until double in size, approximately 1 1/2 hours.
      2. Deflate dough by kneading 2-3 times. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces and roll each piece into an approximate 15 inch rope. Place ropes parallel to each other on a parchment lined baking sheet. Braid the 3 ropes together tucking in both ends. Cover with plastic wrap or damp kitchen towel and allow to rise until almost double in size, approximately 1 hour.
      3. Preheat oven to 350℉. Place oven rack in the middle of the oven. Whisk egg with 1 tbsp of water and brush evenly onto braided loaf. Bake for 35 minutes or an internal temperature of 200℉ is reached. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack prior to slicing.
      French Toast
      1. Preheat oven to 200℉. In a shallow dish whisk eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, cardamom and salt. Cut bread into 3/4 inch slices. Heat a large non stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of oil. Dip each bread slice into egg mixture and allow to sit for 20 seconds per side. Add to hot skillet and cook for approximately 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and keep warm in preheated oven. Repeat with remaining bread and egg mixture.
      2. Top french toast with fresh banana slices and pure maple syrup. Serve immediately.
      Recipe Notes

      Make bread the day before intending to make french toast. I used two baking sheets, one directly on top of the other creating a thicker base to prevent the bottom from becoming too dark.

      Banana Bread

      Banana Bread

      Today I am compelled to cook something familiar and comforting. My favorite banana bread comes from a book that has travelled with me through the past 27 years. Its cover is missing, it’s torn, stained and very much treasured.

      While the recipe has long since been engrained in my memory and can be recited at will I still dig out my cherished book for sheer nostalgia. It was a cookbook giving to me as a gift by a friends mother upon my high school graduation. My high school friend has not been seen for years but the memories live tucked away in my kitchen drawer.

      What I love about this recipe is that it’s just good ole banana bread, it’s not pretending to be anything but what it is. No coconut, pecans, or chocolate chips, just bananas and it’s moist and delicious. One of my favorites!

      Recipe Source: Cookbook Let’s Break Bread Together, circa 1989.

      Banana Bread
      Print Recipe
      Servings Prep Time
      1 loaf 20 min
      Cook Time
      60 min
      Servings Prep Time
      1 loaf 20 min
      Cook Time
      60 min
      Banana Bread
      Print Recipe
      Servings Prep Time
      1 loaf 20 min
      Cook Time
      60 min
      Servings Prep Time
      1 loaf 20 min
      Cook Time
      60 min
      Ingredients
      Servings: loaf
      Instructions
      1. Preheat oven to 350℉. In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and set aside. In a large bowl whisk together sugar and oil. Beat in one egg at a time until well combined. Stir in mashed bananas, orange juice and vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into a 9x5x2.75" loaf pan sprayed with non stick spray or greased and floured. Bake for approximately 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack prior to removing from pan. Enjoy!
      Recipe Notes

      Banana Bread

      I find that thawed frozen bananas work the best because they are very mushy already without being brown on the inside.  Plus it's a great way to use those bananas that are a little far gone.