GF Banana bread

My husband has celiac disease. For info see http://www.celiac.org/cd-main.php What this means, practically speaking, is that I must cook gluten free meals and snacks if I wish him to eat with the rest of us. I will periodically share GF recipe successes here for anyone else who has need.

My oldest daughter, Louisa, has been in a baking mood. It is sometimes hard for me to let my kids cook. I have to be either a) pregnant and feeling crummy enough so that I don't care what happens in my kitchen and am just glad to have food on the table; or b) feeling on top of things enough that I can handle any potential disasters. Yesterday I let Louisa bake. It must had been the latter contingency, because is sure as heck is not the former!

I had a whole mess of bananas that needed to be used. I suggested Louisa do a GF Banana Bread for us to use with breakfast this morning. I also said she could have the younger kids help if she wanted. Then I left for a walk. That is another thing I have discovered. If I leave or am otherwise incapacitated, the kids do a better job in the kitchen. I tend to micromanage their attempts and they are more likely to leave me with the mess afterwards.

I returned from my walk to find the bread in the oven and countertops cleaned off. Excellent job Louisa and other girls! And the bread turned out great. I will include the recipe below. It is basically just the Better Homes and Gardens (Red Plaid) Cook Book recipe substituting GF mix flour and additional xanthan gum. We use the stand mixer.

GF Banana Bread Makes 2 8x4x2" loaves. Bake at 350 for 55-60 min.

3 1/2 c GF flour mix*
1 1/3 c sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 c mashed bananas
2/3 c shortening or butter
1/4 c milk
4 eggs
1/2 c nuts (optional)

Mix dry ingredients on low. Add wet ingredients and mix on low until combined and then on high for 2 minutes. Add nuts if desired.

Pour batter into greased bread pans. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pans. When nearly cooled wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

*For my GF mix I use roughly
3 parts white rice flour
3 parts sorghum flour
2 parts brown rice flour
2 parts potato starch flour
1 part tapioca flour

I think I was out of the potato starch flour last time I mixed it up, but it still seemed to work just fine. I suppose some recipes are fussy, but the ones I generally use for pancakes or muffins or quick breads are not.