Gingerbread (Quick Bread)

I’ve been pulling out my favorite Christmas cookie recipes in preparation for a baking frenzy.

This morning, I noticed (as if the universe intended it) my recipe for Old Time Gingersnaps sitting on top of my Banana Nut Quick Bread recipe and thought – *magic.* I took the best of both and gave it a whirl. This loaf combines all of the warm spices and molasses goodness of gingersnaps with the reliable, moist crumb of banana bread. I hope you love it, too.

Yield: One 9×5 loaf

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (4 ounces), softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup banana puree (about 2 ripe bananas)
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon all spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with pan release and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix to combine. Add banana puree and molasses and mix.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, all spice and salt.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients.
5. Bake the loaf for an hour until puffed and a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean or with small crumbs.
6. Cool in loaf pan for 15 minutes and then remove loaf from the pan to cool completely.