Banana Bread

1¼ cups (~160g) nuts,* chocolate chips or your favorite combination

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into even size chunks so it browns evenly

2 cups (~290g) cup for cup GF flour (one that has xathan gum and a lower protein content; we used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup (~200g) brown sugar

3 medium to large ripe bananas – more ripe is more sweet

¼ cup sour cream

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract*

*nuts and vanilla are high risks for gluten contamination, carefully check label

Preheat oven to 350°F

Preheat skillet on medium low to medium heat

Add nuts and spread them into an even, flat layer

Roast for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (size of nut determines how long to roast)

Nuts will start to look shiny and will be fragrant when roasted

Remove from heat; set aside to cool

Once cool, chop nuts to desired size; place chopped nuts into large mixing bowl

Roasting nuts is optional though it really adds a pleasant depth of flavor to the recipe
The stovetop method is faster than roasting nuts in the oven and allows you to monitor its progress
Make sure there’s plenty of room in your skillet for nuts to roast evenly; roast in multiple batches if necessary
Once cool, chop nuts to desired size depending on the texture and consistency you prefer in your banana bread

Preheat skillet on medium low to medium heat

Add butter; stir as needed to prevent burning

As water content from butter evaporates, you’ll hear popping noise and butter will start to look foamy

You’ll begin to smell the rich, nutty aroma of fats and dairy solids toasting on the bottom of the pan

At this point, stir continuously until the milk solids are toasted to your preference; use the color and aroma to help guide you

Keep in mind that butter and solids continue to darken a little after you finish cooking, as it cools

Transfer butter to clean, large mixing bowl; let cool to room temp

While the combination of brown butter and sour cream in this recipe does bring a whole new level of flavor to banana bread, this combination also serves a specific purpose. Some of the butter’s water content evaporates during the cooking process and sour cream replenishes the moisture in a way that brings about a beautiful bakery-style finish with a deep, rich flavor