Streusel Topped Banana Nutella Bread

I recently found my kitchen redolent with the aroma of two bunches of overripe bananas, which I knew were headed for the trash bin in another day or two if I didn’t do some quick thinking.  With “quick” being the operative word here, banana quick bread came to mind.  I have a great go-to banana bread recipe—a family favorite, which I’ve been making for years.  And it is a quick bread whose ingredients mix together and are oven ready quickly with the use of leaveners such as baking powder and baking soda.

I decided to swirl some Nutella into the batter and top it with streusel before baking—and—Eureka!—I think this may be my best loaf  yet.

A few minor tweaks produced the toothsome streusel topped banana Nutella muffins seen in the photo. Follow the basic recipe, but spoon the batter into a 12-cup muffin pan prepped with baking liners and cut the baking time in half.

If there is a moral to this culinary tale it is:  When life gives you overripe bananas, make streusel topped banana Nutella bread!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.

For the streusel: mix together the flour and sugar, then cut in the cold butter until the mixture is crumbly.  Set aside.

For the banana bread:  whisk together the first five ingredients.  With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in the bananas, eggs, and vanilla until all ingredients are just combined.  Do not over mix.

Spread ½ the batter into the prepared pan.  Spread 1/3 to ½ cup of Nutella over the batter.  If the Nutella is hard to spread, place in microwave at 50% power for 1 minute.

Place the remaining batter over the Nutella, then sprinkle the prepared streusel topping over the batter.

Place in the oven for about 55 minutes.  The bread is done when a cake tester inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean, and the bread has started to pull away at the sides.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

March 2017