HAPPY CINNAMON SWIRL BANANA BREAD

Happy Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread image

Provided by Wendy Rusch

Number Of Ingredients 16

CINNAMON SPICE
3/4 c sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp *pumpkin pie spice
BREAD
3 1/2 c ap flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp *pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp sea salt
4 eggs
2 1/4 c sugar
1 c vegetable oil
3 c bananas, mashed with 2 tsp lemon juice (approx 6 medium bananas)
1/3 c sour cream
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c pecans or walnuts, chopped or broken, if desired

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 3 - 4x8 loaf pans, or 2 - 5x9 loaf pans and line bottom with parchment paper for easy removal. (Not necessary, but sometimes it sticks and rips the bottom to pieces, so I like to line the pan)
2. Cinnamon Spice: Stir together sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
3. Bread: Sift together flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, salt and set aside. Beat together eggs and sugar at medium high speed for about 3 minutes, until very thick and pale in color. Scraping bowl occasionally. Reduce speed and slowly drizzle in oil. Then add bananas, sour cream and vanilla, mixing well. Then gently mix in flour mixture, until just combined, stir in nuts, if desired.
4. Reserve 1/4 cup of cinnamon spice mixture for topping. Spoon about 1" of batter into each pan, then using a teaspoon, sprinkle remaining cinnamon spice mixture over batters, pour remaining batter over cinnamon spice evenly, carefully spreading to the edges. Sprinkle reserved cinnamon spice over top of batters and bake for 45-55 minutes (50-60 minutes for larger pans) or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
5. Remove from oven, allow to rest 5-10 minutes then remove from pans to cooling racks to cool completely.
6. *You can replace all the pumpkin pie spice in this recipe with cinnamon if desired.