Cinnamon Chip Banana Bread

Everyone loves banana bread.  But we’ve found that it’s hard to get enough flavor with only bananas.  It needs a boost from banana flavor.  We added a touch of lemon to contrast and make the banana flavor sharper.

We added cinnamon chips to provide a burst of cinnamon in every bite. 

This is scrumptious bread.  Like most quick breads, it improves after being refrigerated overnight. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup quick oats
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Korintje cassia ground cinnamon

1 1/4 cups mashed bananas (about 2 large bananas)
1/3 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon Marsden and Bathe lemon flavor or equal
2 teaspoons Marsden and Bathe banana flavor or equal

3/4 cup cinnamon chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan medium loaf pans by greasing the pan well and flouring it or lining it with parchment paper.

1. Carefully measure the flour and then combine with the oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Set aside.
2. Mix the mashed bananas, melted butter, sugar, eggs, and flavors together.
   Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine.  Add the cinnamon chips and nuts.
3. Scrape the batter into the loaf pan and bake for fifty minutes or until the bread tests done with a skewer or toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf. 
4. Place the pan on a cooling rack.  After five minutes, remove the loaf from the pan and continue cooling on a wire rack.

Baker’s note:  We debated adding the lemon flavor; we’re glad that we did.  It really sets the banana flavor off and even with 1/2 teaspoon is noticeable.