Banana Upside Down Bread.
Banana Upside-Down Bread was inspired by a NYT Cooking recipe which describes the upside-down technique but is otherwise too fussy for the lazy cook. So we adapted it to own simpler version. We tinkered with bourbon and raisins after reading a Nigela Lawson recipe but the technique could be applied to any banana bread recipe, including your own or this one or the classic in Joy of Cooking. Makes one 9×5 loaf or equivalent.
Ingredients:
3 very ripe bananas (about 1 lb with skins)
2 ripe but not yet falling apart bananas with skins on
Brown sugar for caramelizing
For the batter:
½ c raisins of any variety
1/3 c bourbon
1 ½ c all purpose flour
2 t baking powder
½ t baking soda
½ t Kosher salt
1 t vanilla extract
2 large eggs
¾ c brown sugar, packed
1 stick (4 oz) melted butter
½ c chopped walnuts (optional)
Method: soak raisins in bourbon for several hours or overnight. Start the batter by beating eggs then adding 3 ripe peeled bananas and mashing them thoroughly with potato masher. Add brown sugar and stir to dissolve; add melted butter and vanilla and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
Caramelized banana halves should look like this.
Mix dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Fold them into the batter and stir until flour is absorbed. Batter will be thick and lumpy. Finally, add walnuts if using.
Make the upside down bananas: slice two ripe bananas lengthwise with skins on. Arrange them with the meat side up on a sheet of aluminum foil on a broiler rack. Sprinkle on brown sugar and rub in with your finger. Broil bananas until sugar is melted and bubbly and caramelized. Cool to room temperature.
Banana slices atop parchment paper. Two have had the tops peeled off, two to go.
Line a 9×5 pan or equivalent with parchment paper covering bottom and sides. Rub on a little butter or neutral oil to prevent sticking. Place the banana halves skin side up in the bottom of the pan and lift off the skins, peeling gently so the meat stays on the pan. Pour over the batter, taking care not to disturb the banana halves.
Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the top of the loaf. Cool the upside-down banana bread to handling temperature, then carefully unmold onto a serving dish. (Remove the loaf with parchment paper from the pan, invert the serving dish on top of the loaf, then flip the dish and carefully peel off parchment paper to reveal the finished product.) Serve at room temperature or warmed, maybe with some vanilla ice cream.
The finished product.
