A fresh way to enjoy classic Mennonite Banana Bread, in a heat wave

The heat has forced me to bake: my bananas have ripened at a furious pace and making banana bread is the best way to deal with over ripe bananas. Now I could have thrown them in the freezer for later use, seeing as here in Toronto we are in the middle of a glorious heat wave, but my husband needed a snack and when a need for baking arises, I'm there!

My mom had this old Mennonite cookbook from the 1950's. The cover was already gone when I got my hands on it. It was a much loved staple of my grandma's kitchen and then my mom's kitchen. All I have ever used it for was Banana Bread from Mrs. J. Klassen.  Every recipe is signed by a Mrs. Friesen or a Mrs. Epp, or a Mrs. W. Braun. That's what I love the most about it: these women, who ran bustling homesteads in rural Saskatchewan, got together and published an amazing little cookbook that survived 60 years to make it in to my kitchen in 2012.

Mmmm . . .

The original recipe has white flour and refined sugar, both of which are not available in the Baking, Brains and Braun Kitchen! Although I have enjoyed it in its classic form for years, the recipe that follows is the version for the new me, and hopefully, you.  Now I have not made a vegan version of this, I'm not there, yet. Have you seen the documentary Forks Over Knives? Do yourself a favor and watch it. Or actually make and eat my New Mennonite Banana Bread first and then watch the doc . . . the vegan version is definitely on my to-blog-and-bake list!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Butter
3/4 cup Coconut Sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups Spelt Flour
1 cup mixed toasted nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds)
1 cup raisins, chopped figs or dates

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Toast the mixed nuts and seeds of your choice in a dry skillet for a couple of minutes over medium heat, stirring often.
3. Mix butter, Coconut sugar and eggs until creamy.
4. Add the bananas as you sing along with the video below.
5. Add baking soda and spelt flour.
6. Fold in the nuts, dried fruit and any other goodie you may have around.
7. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and place in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. And, I always treat my mixer utensils like popsicles,  I invite you to do the same.

Original Chiquita Banana Commercial 

Happy Baking and stay cool until next time

tbxo