Jada’s banana bread
It has been a month now since we have settled in Houston. Our apartments kitchen is poorly equipped with baking appliances which made me miss my kitchen deeply.
There's nothing could absorb my stress like baking and with that being said.
I started searching through the internet for a place Where I can practice my therubatic hobby and after spending the night searching the destiny led me to urban chef kitchen.
jada, the executive chef who greeted me with her glowing smile and her contagious enthusiasm warmed my heart like a ray of sunshine in a winter day.
she walked me through kitchen, enormous fridges standing in pride against the wall, a tabletop lined up with kitchen aids stand mixer like soldiers ready to march.
and freshly baked banana bread resting on top of the stove.
“oh, here let me cut a slice for you, tea or coffee ?'“ said jada gleefully
“coffee” I replied without hesitating.
we sat on dining room table…jada started talking about herself but i wasn’t paying attention because the aroma scent of the banana was louder if it was a sound.
The fork couldn’t stand the tenderness of the banana bread, I had my first bite and took me back to my old neighborhood when I was ten.
under the neem trees whispering standing next to my old rustic derwaza door of my house with my hands slightly covered in grains of sand holding a banana wafer, and munching it slowly enjoying the aroma of the banana.
and suddenly “did you hear what I said ? “ jada asked gleefully
“erm sorry …what was that?” I replied in shame
“you really enjoyed the banana , do you ?” jada asked with a big smile on her face
“can I have the recipe please” I begged.
Blueberry Banana Coconut Crumb Loaf
Ingredients
For the Crumb Topping
¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar
2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter, melted
⅔ cup + 1 tsp (78 g) all-purpose flour
For the Batter
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup (200 g) sugar
¼ cup (60 g) melted butter
2 large eggs
1 cup (300 g, about 2 ripe) mashed bananas
⅓ cup (75 g) buttermilk or laban
Seeds from ½ vanilla pod, or 1 tsp good-quality vanilla extract/paste
¾ cup (75 g) blueberries (tossed with 2 tbsp of flour mixture above to prevent sinking)
½ cup (30 g) shredded coconut (toasted if desired)
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease and line a 9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Make the topping: In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the melted butter. Using a fork, lightly mix in the flour until crumbs form (do not overmix). Cover and chill in the fridge to firm up.
Prepare the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Remove 2 tbsp of this mixture and toss with the blueberries to coat.
Make the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and melted butter until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the mashed bananas until smooth.
Using a spatula, fold in the buttermilk and vanilla until just combined. Gradually fold in the flour mixture in batches.
Gently fold in the blueberries and coconut.
Assemble: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the chilled crumb topping evenly over the batter.
Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. If the topping browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let rest for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Notes
You can reduce or omit the blueberries if you prefer — it won’t harm the final result.
Toast the shredded coconut in a dry pan over medium heat for extra flavor, stirring until golden (watch closely to avoid burning).
