Brown Butter Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Butter
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1/4 cup Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 3 medium overripe Bananas, or 6 small Bananas (yellaki variety)
• 2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1/2 cup roasted Walnuts, chopped

Steps

1. Set a pan over medium heat and melt the butter. It will foam and crackle. As the crackling dies down, swirl the pan. When the butter starts to brown and smell nutty, turn off the flame, pour it into a large mixing bowl, and let it cool.
2. Set the oven to preheat at 175 degree Celsius. Butter an 8X5 inch loaf tin, then line it with parchment paper that overhangs the edges so the baked bread can be lifted out easily.
3. You can roast the walnuts, or whatever else you’re using, in the oven for 10 minutes while it preheats. Chop them afterward and set them aside. Use a timer, since they can burn easily.
4. Once the butter is cool, mix in the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until combined. Add the milk and vanilla extract and whisk again.
5. Peel the bananas and mash them into the mixture. The recipe author likes a chunky loaf, but you can mash the bananas completely if you prefer.
6. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into the bowl with the banana mixture and fold until combined. There’s no need to blend or overmix. Mix in the nuts, then sprinkle a little sugar over the batter for a crunchy crust.
7. Tap the pan once to release air bubbles, then put it in the oven. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes and start checking for doneness around 50 minutes. A skewer or fork pushed into the center should come out clean.
8. Let the baked bread cool in the pan for 8-10 minutes. Use the parchment to lift it out and let it cool on a wire rack for another 10 minutes, or slice it right away, as the recipe author did.