So... A few days ago, there I was, minding my own business. I was trying to get some exercise and keep my mind off of food for at least 30 seconds (good gravy, I hate dieting!), so I was dancing around the apartment like a female version of Kevin Bacon in Footloose. By the way, have I mentioned how much I adore that movie? Aside of a completely hot Kevin Bacon, that music was...and still is, DA BOMB.
Anyhoo, I twirled too fast and got dizzy, so I made a decision then and there that exercise and I don't get along. I love justification.
Then I went into the kitchen to get a glass of water and I tripped over something. Likely, it was my own two feet that caused the stumble, but I'll pretend that there was actually something trippable on the floor so I don't appear to be a COMPLETE doofus. Hey, don't judge me... I'm old...at least I was making an attempt at movement. OK, so after I looked behind me to see what I had tripped over (you do that too, right?), I looked on the counter and noticed a couple of brown spotted bananas. As you likely know, there's not much better use for over ripe naners than to throw them into banana bread! Heck to the YES! Then my old brain reminded me of a secret stash of Hershey Caramel Kisses that I had hiding in the back of the baking cabinet. A round of fireworks shot off in my head, my internal light bulb turned on, and I knew EXACTLY what I would do with those sweet babies!
Yep, it's true. Every once in a while, ol' Chef Hef hits a recipe idea out of the ballpark. This banana bread, my Dearest, will ROCK YOUR SWEET WORLD! I just kept taking my ideas over the top and the bread just kept getting better and better. I let 3 people taste test it for me, and every single one of them had the same reaction... these deep, orgasmic sounding moans. Not a single one was able to speak without food in their mouth. It was what every chef dreams of... a gloriously happy, speechless customer. It was a little piece of Heaven on Earth for yours truly.
Do you want to enjoy that same kind of bliss? Of course you do! Go grab your apron and I'll meet you in the kitchen!
- Ingredients
- 2 cups (8.8 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (5.6 ounces) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 medium (1 cup) ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup canola oil or melted unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon caramel flavoring
- 12 Hershey’s Caramel Kisses, unwrapped
- Caramel sauce for garnish (optional)
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, extending paper up sides of pan, or spray with non-stick spray; set aside.
- In a large bowl combine bananas, eggs, oil, milk, caramel flavoring, and vanilla extract. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to banana mixture; stir just until moistened.
- Pour two thirds of the batter evenly into the pan. Place 12 caramel Kisses on top of the batter, spacing them apart as evenly as possible. Pour remaining batter on top of the kisses and spread with a spatula to assure that all of the candy is covered with batter.
- Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then remove bread from pan by using the edges of the parchment paper to lift bread from pan, or use a butter knife to loosen sides of bread from the pan and invert pan to remove bread. Allow it to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Drizzle warm caramel sauce over the top of the loaf and dust with powdered sugar. If desired, serve with additional caramel sauce.
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Bachelor Kitchen