Espresso Toffee Banana Bread

Espresso Toffee Banana Bread

By Ben Goodman

Espresso Toffee Banana Bread

Ok, here's the thing, we're not even going to try and pretend this is a healthy food option. In fact, it'll probably take a few years off your life. But will it all be worth it? Oh, god yes. Enter: The Espresso Toffee Banana bread.

I want you to imagine regular banana bread, which is already amazing in its own right, and combine that with the vanilla and walnut notes of Black Velvet's Voodoo Child blend, or the delightful hazelnut and dark chocolate flavours found in Code Black's La Leyenda blend. The result is as close to ambrosia as we're going to find here on Earth.

Now that you're sufficiently salivated, let's get to it. The ingredients listed below will allow you to make a 25 x 12.5 cm loaf.

INGREDIENTS

3 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1-1/4 cup)
1/2 cup brewed strong coffee

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon of espresso (Black Velvet's Voodoo Child blend would be perfect here!)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons toffee bits (usually found in stores with the chocolate chips), divided
1/4 cup chopped banana chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray.

Mix banana and coffee in a small bowl.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and instant espresso.

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil and brown sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add the vanilla extract and the banana-coffee mixture and stir until combined.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon or a spatula until just incorporated.  Fold in 1/2 cup toffee bits. 

Pour mixture into prepared loaf pan and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven, sprinkle the top of the loaf with the remaining toffee bits and banana chips, then return to oven for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  *Don't worry about getting all the banana chips on top of the loaf if they don't all fit; you don't want to weigh down the top of the loaf too much to make sure it bakes evenly inside.*  Let stand in pan 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely, then slice.

This recipe was adapted from LCBO’s Food and Drink Magazine, Early Summer 2012 issue