I've gone bananas.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a craving for banana bread. God knows why, because I don't actually like bananas, but there you go. Someone had posted a vegan recipe somewhere that looked pretty good, so I decided to go for it. I especially liked the idea of adding chocolate chips, because there's nothing like warm, melty chocolate in a baked good. The recipe only called for a single banana, though, and so I still had several left over. I decided to try a different recipe for the second loaf, and I wasn't nearly as impressed. The vegan version has a much more subtle banana flavour, which I prefer, and of course there's the bonus that the lack of raw eggs means you can safely lick the bowl. Both recipes are listed below for comparison.

Vegan Banana Bread

Preheat oven to 350. Grease the bottom of a nine-inch loaf pan. Mix together a cup of sugar, half a cup of canola oil, a cup and a quarter applesauce, a mashed ripe banana, ½ cup water, and a little more than a tablespoon vanilla. Then mix together 2-1/4 cups all purpose flour, 4 t baking powder, and ½ t salt. Add to the banana mixture a little at a time and stir until just incorporated. Fold in a couple handfuls milk chocolate chips and a handful of walnut and pecan pieces (you might want to chop the walnuts first). Pour into prepared pan and bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in the pan before removing.

Regular Banana Bread

Place oven rack in lowest position and preheat to 350. Grease bottom of a nine-inch loaf pan. Mix together 1-1/4 cups sugar and ½ cup softened margarine. Stir in 2 eggs until well blended. Add three or four mashed ripe bananas, ½ cup milk (recipe calls for buttermilk but I didn't have any on hand), and 1 t vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in 2-1/2 cups all purpose flour, 4 t baking powder, and 1 t salt until just incorporated. Fold in a cup of chopped walnuts. Pour into pan and bake an hour and fifteen minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan before removing, and cool completely before slicing.