Coconut Macadamia Nut Banana Bread

Just to start; I HATE bananas! But for some reason I love banana bread; well actually I love MY banana bread and the one from Starbucks. Anyway, I have a favorite banana bread recipe that I always use, but I was looking for something a little lighter and more summery. This is what I found and it is SO good! I copied the recipe exactly, but I will add in my own variations. Enjoy!


Coconut and Macadamia Nut Banana Bread Adapted from a Gourmet Magazine recipe

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened (I used 1/2 butter & 1/2 applesauce)
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 1/3 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 large)
3 tablespoons sour cream (I used organic plain yogurt)
3/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted lightly and cooled (You don't have to toast the coconut, but it adds more flavor and reduces the chance of it clumping)

Into a bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter with the sugar, beat in the vanilla, the eggs, 1 at a time, the zest, the banana, and the sour cream. Add the flour mixture, beat the batter until it is just combined, and stir in the macadamia nuts and the coconut. Pour the batter into a buttered and floured 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan and bake the bread in the middle of a preheated 350 degree F. oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool the bread on a rack. Cooled bread can be wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil, chilled for 1 week or frozen for 1 month.(I just sliced the bread and stored it in a "storage" size Ziploc bag)

I baked the bread for 45 minutes and found the middle a little gooey and the top a little burnt. If possible, split the batter between 2 loaf pans, or try them as cupcakes/muffins:)