A brown sugar and nut streusel provides a flavorful crunchy addition to this moist dessert bread. Leave the topping off if you prefer the more familiar version of this old-time classic.

Banana Bread with Streusel Topping

Ingredients:

Batter:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1½ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)

Tip: Use very ripe bananas for a stronger banana flavor.

1 cup sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

¼ cup toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped

Tip: See Toasting Nuts and Seeds. Use a citrus zester for fresh zest. Use standard measuring cups and spoons or scales for accurate measuring.

Streusel Topping:

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped, untoasted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare one 9x5x2¾ inch loaf pan; lightly grease the pan with shortening and dust with flour. Tip: to make baked bread easier to remove from pan, lightly grease the pan, line with parchment paper, and then lightly grease the top of the parchment paper and dust with flour.
   
   Batter:
2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
   
   
3. In a large bowl, combine beaten eggs, mashed bananas, sugar, oil, and lemon zest; whisk together until well blended. Add flour mixture; stir just until blended (batter should be lumpy.) Stir in nuts.
    
   
4. Pour batter in the loaf pan. Set aside.
   
   Streusel Topping:
5. In a small bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over the batter.
   
   Bake:
6. Bake 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove pan from oven and let cool about 15 minutes. Grabbing the top edges of the parchment paper, lift bread from the loaf pan and place on a wire cooling rack to finish cooling. Remove parchment paper and discard.
   
   Makes 1 loaf
   
   TheBakingPan.com
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