Fannie Farmer’s Banana Bread

Fannie Farmer’s Classic Banana Bread recipe, adapted with current ingredients such as quinoa flour. Topped with slices of ripe pear, this is not your usual banana bread; much added health benefits due to the quinoa and undertone flavors of bourbon and sweet banana.
By Marnely Rodriguez

Published originally in 1896 under the title The Boston Cooking School Cook Book by Fannie Merritt Farmer, The Fannie Farmer Cookbook is a staple to anyone cooking in New England. Finding old copies of this cookbook makes my day, and being able to bake a recipe that was baked 100+ years ago just makes it even more special.

I decided to recreate Fannie Farmer’s Banana Bread, by incorporating healthier flours. Fannie calls for white cake flour, but for this recipe I did a combination of quinoa flour and white whole wheat flour. The addition of bourbon brings out the sweetness of the ripe bananas, making this a moist bread that would be perfect as breakfast or a mid-day snack with your tea or coffee.

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Quinoa-Pear Banana Bread

 

Print

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

55 mins

 

Fannie Farmer's Classic Banana Bread recipe, adapted with current ingredients such as quinoa flour. Topped with slices of ripe pear, this is not your usual banana bread; much added health benefits due to the quinoa and undertone flavors of bourbon and sweet banana.

Author: Marnely Rodriguez

Recipe Type: Quick Bread

Serves: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• ½ cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 medium bananas, mashed
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon bourbon
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup quinoa flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon vanilla salt
• ½ cup buttermilk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Grease one loaf pan or four mini loaf pans.
2. Cream shortening, sugar, bananas, eggs and bourbon.
3. Add flours, baking soda and salt. Slowly mix in buttermilk but do not overmix.
4. Pour batter into greased pans and bake for about 45 minutes, or until bread springs back to the touch*.

Notes

* Instead of inserting a toothpick into quick breads or cakes, get used to touching your baked goods and getting a feel of what under-baked or baked feels like. Lightly touch quick bread while still in oven and if it springs back, it's done. If it slowly tries to spring back, bake for about 5 more minutes. If it stays down or you feel the liquid batter inside, keep baking.

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