Banana-Coconut Bread

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs at room temperature for 30 minutes
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups coarsely mashed very ripe bananas (3)
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/3 cups sliced or chopped almonds

Heat oven to 350°F.  Butter 2 8x4x2-inch metal loaf pans, then dust with flour, knocking out excess.

Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl.

Beat together eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer at medium-high speed until very thick and pale and mixture forms a ribbon when the beater is lifted, about 10 minutes.  Reduce speed to low and add oil and melted butter in a slow stream, mixing, then mix in bananas, coconut milk, coconut, and vanilla.  Remove bowl from mixer and fold in flour mixture and almonds gently but thoroughly.

Divide batter between loaf pans, spreading evenly, and bake in middle of oven until golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Cool loaves in pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack.  Turn loaves right side up and cool completely.

Banana bread keeps, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature for 2 days or frozen for 1 month.


From Epicurious/Gourmet, with quite a few changes