Glazed Cinnamon Banana Bread

Moist tender banana bread with a streusel of cinnamon and glazed with more cinnamon - a yummy rendition!

Bananas and I have a long and complicated relationship, one of unrequited affection on my part. This wasn't due to the heartlessness of the banana itself, but more particularly to circumstance, not so much the wrong time as the wrong place. Tunisia for starters....bananas did not exist in this North African clime, but we had already dallied with the banana enough to know what Tunisians were missing. And apparently, we weren't the only residents to have had experience lingering enraptured over a banana split, for when the banana boat came in, maybe twice a year, bananas were hawked from every city corner to avid customers who consumed their yearly requirement of potassium in a matter of a few days! And for a short time, we dined in banana heaven with banana milkshakes, banana pudding, banana cream pie and eventually banana bread which we froze to dole out in the banana-less months to follow.

Our craving was only satisfied when visitors came from Europe. At our request they would bring bananas and avocados as the gift I wanted most from home. From Tunisia, we moved to Jordan, where the banana existed, their water-gorging trees quenched by the waters of the Jordan River, but alas, they were short, stubby, things often green and reluctant to ripen; no Chiquita worthy specimens these. But the flavor was right and after all, that is what we fell in love with in the first place.

But wait… this recipe offers more! Yes, banana bread but for no extra charge we will add cinnamon! That makes two delicious flavors for the price of one…banana and cinnamon in one bread!

Thankfully, Tunisia had been importing cinnamon for thousand of years. From Ceylon (Sri Lanka) came the spice beloved by the world - Arabs use it in baklawa and meat dishes, not to mention the U.S. obsession with the cinnamon roll. Many American children’s breakfast staple is cinnamon sugar on buttered toast. (Watch your labels as ground cinnamon is of a similar color of ground cumin - one child wore a puzzled expression on his face when we made that mistake but continued to eat it, discovering a new taste possibility.)

glazed cinnamon banana bread

1 3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 ripe medium bananas, mashed

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup buttermilk or sour cream

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

pinch of Chinese 5 Spice

1 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup softened full fat cream cheese

1/3 cup softened butter

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 - 2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

toffee bits for garnish

-Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 X 5 inch loaf pan. Combine mashed bananas and granulated sugar in mixing bowl and beat until sugar is well incorporated. Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat well.

-Add oil, buttermilk and vanilla and combine until smooth. Slowly add in dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt) and mix on medium speed until smooth. Stir in nuts and pour into prepared loaf pan.

-Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon and pinch of 5 Spice. Sprinkle on top of batter in pan and swirl into batter with a spatula not until completely combined but leaving swirls of cinnamon in batter.

-Place on center shelf in oven and bake until top is golden brown and splits slightly; for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a knife into center of loaf to see if it comes out clean. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn loaf out on to rack and cool completely.

-Meanwhile, mix cream cheese and butter until very smooth. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla extract until well blended. Add enough milk to create a drizzling consistency. Pour over cool loaf and sprinkle with toffee bits. Let sit until glaze sets. Slice and serve. Serves 8 - 10

PERSNICKETY NOTES:

-I prefer banana bread at room temperature or chilled - serve as desired.

-Banana Bread is a great item to freeze and most of us banana lovers often have a banana or two that has passed fresh eating texture. You can place peeled ripe bananas in the freezer in a ziplock bag and when you have two you can thaw them in the microwave and you have the main ingredient to make this recipe. More often than not, we have 2 - 3 bananas at a time that have passed their prime, so I will make up 1 - 2 recipes of banana bread and when cooled, wrap them in foil, label them and place in a freezer bag for when I need a quick treat to serve unexpected company.