Even my all - asterisk chef friends could n’t guess the mystical upgrade .
BHG / Cara Cormack
I usually stick with the classic when it comes to what might be the most - make out quick dinero : banana tree bread . I either opt for my mom ’s unfailing use - up - an - overripe - lot formula , or stick to our Test Kitchen’sBanana Bread recipethat fans take for a “ sacred , simple banana tree bread ” and “ the tested and true recipe I ’ve been using since I was 18 . ”
Credit:BHG / Cara Cormack
That was true until I shore on a rerun of a classic instalment ofThe Kitchen , during which Sunny Anderson gull her Colorado - hosts about her banana sugar ’s secret constituent . After devouring every second of the segment in the“Sharing Our Secrets ” episode that in the beginning air in 2019 , I felt root on to cheat on both of my common go - to recipe immediately . The hook : an unexpected pantry staple promote that I never could have predicted .
I generally stick with a expression that features the common suspect like flour , sugar , eggs , oil , vanilla extract , cinnamon , and mashed bananas , but I ’m no unknown to scheme banana loot inclusions . After go with our Test Kitchen andflipping through cookbooksduring the last decade , I have instruct that everything from mayo to miso can vanish under the radar in — and in reality meliorate — a basic banana bread recipe .
Our round - up ofirresistible banana tree dinero recipesfrom classic to originative feature film renditions topped with streusel , infused with coffee berry , prepared in the tune fryer , swirled with PB&J , and beyond . However , the closest we ’ve ever get along to bestow something savoury to banana bread has believably been walnut .
Credit: Caitlin Bensel
But Anderson ’s explanation about her sneaky sweet - savory - salty upgrade had me running to the supermarket to replenish my banana descent . I did n’t want to wait any longer to reanimate Sunny ’s secluded Banana Walnut Bread , specially after I track down the recipe online and spotted nearly unanimous glowing review . Home baker called Anderson ’s riff “ ludicrously moist ” and even that it was " the family ’s preferent banana tree kale . ”
The deal was sealed , and I adjusted mypotluck menucontribution for the weekend beforehand so I had an excuse to run this uniquebanana bread recipe from scratchby some of my savviest solid food pro sidekick to get their dependable feedback — and to see if they could detect the private ingredient .
The 1 Secret Ingredient Standing Between You and Your Best Banana Bread Ever
Anderson started the segment by ask her Colorado - hosts Katie Lee Biegel , Jeff Mauro , and Geoffrey Zakarian to sample a bite of her signature banana bread recipe so they could stress to guess the unexpected addition . The roll phallus were all stumped .
They were aghast when Anderson revealed her saucy underground : Worcestershire sauce . Yes , that same Robert Brown - colorise , umami liquidity you in all likelihood have in your refrigerator to lend to Chex Mix , cocktail sauce , baked bonce , Sloppy Joe ’s , and other mouth-watering comfort food for thought classics .
“ What is the one element we always talk about when we babble about in it ? " Anderson ask as she explains the character of Worcestershire sauce in her bewildering batter . “ We always let the cat out of the bag about the anchovies , but no one talks about the tamarind and the sugar that ’s in Worcestershire sauce . Tamarind is sweet . Sugar is sweetened , obviously , and that pairs very well with the bananas and makes them [ taste ] more like a banana . "
Credit:BHG / Cara Cormack
The formula for Lea & Perrins , one of the most widely - useable Worcerstershire sauce brands , is made with distilled blank vinegar , molasses , sugar , water system , salt , onions , anchovy , garlic , Eugenia aromaticum , tamarind extract , “ natural flavorings , ” and chili common pepper selection . That ’s quite the array of element , but considering the fact that molasses , Eugenia caryophyllatum , and tamarind ( a sweet - off fruit that ’s grown in tropic climates ) are in the mixing tracks with a sweet prompt bread formula . Plus , the raving mad poster salty and savory components might just puzzle out their magic to amplify the natural fragrancy of the yield .
How to Make Worcestershire Sauce Banana Bread
I volunteered to bring a salad and afters to the potluck , so I decided to toss together a simple cucumber - onion salad plus this banana tree bread , which I would dress up with vanilla mascarpone flog pick , my signature candy nut recipe , and a mizzle of maple sirup .
So the day before our gathering , I tie on my apron and set out to watch Anderson ’s lead . I started by peeling three bananas and slicing them thinly . Yes , thing are already go off in a quirky way , with slicing , rather than mashing . We ’ll dive into this more later , but I picked up during the installment that the rich aerofoil area might allow the yield to rob up more flavor .
Feel loose to useregularly - right bananasfor this recipe ; you wo n’t notice the difference of opinion once the Worcestershire works its thaumaturgy . But for formula that call for overripe banana , it ’s loose to turn yellow yield brown far quicker than waiting for nature to do so for you . The secret : laugh at your banana . This transubstantiate the interior into the sweet , bread - ready flavor you ’re used to in overripe bananas . To do so , place sticker - spare in - peel bananas on a parchment newspaper publisher - lined baking sheet of paper , leaving blank between each . Using a tongue or fork , prick each banana hide at 1 - inch interval , then bake at 350 ° farad for 15 minutes , or until the skin are dark brown and the flesh is flabby .
Then in a big bowl , I combined a 4 - to-1 proportion of white sugar tobrown sugar(the latter for additional moistness ) , 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce ( at this full point , I cue myself to trust the process ! ) , 2 eggs , and 2 tablespoons ofvegetable petroleum .
“ You ’ll acknowledge I did n’t tot any salt to this … that ’s coming in the Worcestershire sauce , ” Anderson explains as she walks through the recipe . “ It really does handle a bunch of feel — not just for savory dish but for sweetened as well . ”
While the banana tree “ marinated , ” I turned my attention to the ironical ingredient . In a separate large bowl , I budge together flour , cinnamon , baking powder , and roughly chopped walnut tree , mixing until the walnuts were all coated in flour . I also used this sentence to prep the 9- x 5 - inch loaf genus Pan just like Anderson : with a coat of liquid butter and a dusting of flour . ( I did this over the sinkhole so I could shake the flour across the bottom and each of the four sides , before dumping out the excess to avoid any clumps on the crust . )
After the saucy bananas had 30 moment to swim in that sugar mixture , I sour the oven on to 350 ° F to let that get a caput start on heating system up . Next , I tally the wet ingredients to the juiceless , then used a spatula to gently shut down it all together until all of the flour thud disappeared .
Over - shuffle quick sugar batterafter you commingle wet with dry ingredients can result in a loaf that seems uneven , heavy , and obtuse . Only stir as much as is necessary to integrate the dry ingredient .
All that was left to do was transfer the slugger to my prepared loaf pan , bake until the top was golden , and do atoothpick testin the center of the loaf . Anderson judge that this aim 50 to 60 minute of arc , however , mine took more like 80 minutes . This could have been my oven or the fact that I prefer for a glass genus Pan instead of a metal one , but it was no sweat with those bonusdoneness cuesabout colour and consistency in my back pocket .
As the bread was broil , I point out an smell that was faintly Worcestershire - esque , but mostly banana tree - forward . You may perceive a hint of the same in the ruined slice , but zero out of eight of my taste perception testers found it unappealing . Nor could they pick out the occult ingredient from a line up .
Instead , the feedback from the taster — who included eatery possessor , an executive chef and a pastry chef who had worked at a Michelin - starred eatery , a secret chef , and two of my most gourmet friends — was a resonant “ delicious ! ” To not sway their vox populi , I did n’t let them in on our secret ingredient in advance , but I did ask them to suppose . Cardamon , cumin seed , and “ Wow , I ’m stumped ! ” were their top theories .
If you attempt to baffle your fellow diners , be sure that you ’re aware of any food allergies or dietetic preferences . Worcestershire sauce sauce include fish ( anchovies ) , and some brands contain gluten .
All examiner gave nemine contradicente - incontrovertible recap , and after everyone was wind up , it was time for the fun part : discover the icebox door ringer that made the magic happen .
Even though the fast staff of life batter only ask for 2 tablespoons of fossil oil and included the same amount of bananas as most of our Test Kitchen ’s signature banana tree lucre recipes , this ended up tender , moist , and surprisingly rich in fruit flavour . Next to the salty , pantry walnuts , the batter really shined . We could n’t detect any hint of the Worcestershire sauce on your taste bud … and we could n’t fend another gash .
If you ’re feel cheer to give this off-the-wall and awesome recipe a try , findSunny ’s Secret Banana Walnut Bread recipe here . We savour it dessert - panache , but it would also be unbelievable enjoyed as part ofbreakfast or brunch .
