Banana Bread w Spiced Maple Glazed Pecans

1 banana 2 banana 3 banana 4! Yes, 4 bananas in this recipe! That's a banana per loaf, if you're making the mini loaves.  This banana bread is hearty with a good banana flavor, subtly sweet and full of spiced pecans. I don't really have a go to recipe for banana bread so I thought I would look around and start testing. AND I'll need to keep track of the recipes I use. I failed to save the recipes I've used in the past. 

Simple ingredient list results in a delicious bread.

When I started looking for a recipe I knew that I wanted a basic recipe that I could build on. I feel like I accomplished just that. A few additions and adjustments worked out just as I had hoped, aside from the addition of the maple syrup. While the maple flavor didn't come through as I had hoped, this bread is still delicious. Having glazed the pecans in maple and added some to the batter in place of milk I really thought it would shine through a little more. I still think it adds to the bread, but isn't as pronounced as I would like. The spice was a bit high for what I was going for as well. I made the adjustment in the recipe you see to cut that back. The adjustment will let the other flavors be more balanced. 

Spiced Maple Glazed Pecans. On the right, the chopped pecans for the bread.

The changing weather, cold one day and warm the next, around good ole Indiana made me crave this spicy and subtly sweet banana bread one cool day. Even if it's not cold, this bread makes a great breakfast with a hot cup-o-java or as a delicious snack! 

Enough chit chat form me, go get BAKING!

Banana Bread w Spiced Maple Glazed Pecans            [Printable Recipe] - both recipes at link

Recipe adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/banana-bread-recipe

Makes: 4 mini loaves or 1 large loaf

Ingredients:

1 cup dark brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 real maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Maple Spiced Pecans (recipe below)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 and grease/flour 4 mini loaf pans.

Cream butter and sugar until lighter and fluffy. About 3-4 minutes.

Whisk together the remaining dry ingredients. Set aside.

Once the sugar/butter mix is ready, add eggs one at a time, mixing slightly after each egg. Add the vanilla.

Add the maple syrup just until combined. Add the mashed banana and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients in 3 batches mixing just until combined after each addition.

Pour batter equally into the prepared pans. Bake for 1 hour.

Spiced Maple Glazed Pecans

1 cup pecans halved
1/4 cup Real Maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg

In a small skillet combine all ingredients over medium heat. Cook until maple syrup is thickened. Pour pecans into a wax paper lined baking sheet and cool.