Coconut-Lime-Banana Nut Bread with Lime Glaze

I love the Hawaiian Islands.  I really do.  Especially today with its dreary skies and blustery winds.

Since I’m not there but here, I decided to bring Hawaii into my kitchen with this bread.  I think it just might work.

One of the things I loved about our trip last spring was this incredible bread that I enjoyed in a little coffee shop around the corner of our hotel in Maui.  It was incredibly flavored with coconut, lime, rum, coconut and macadamias.  Let me tell you.  I enjoyed it more than once.

This is the result of my efforts to recreate those flavors.  I think it comes very close, except that it’s not quite as sweet.  That  works just fine for me.  I’m thinking about adding a half cup of molasses next time just to add an additional depth of flavor.  I’ll let you know how that goes.

In the meantime, give this version a try.  It works equally well as muffins.

Coconut Lime Banana Nut Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat blend flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 eggs
2-3 mashed very ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup thickened Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or rum extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 Tablespoon cream of coconut
2 Tablespoons orange juice
1 lime finely zested
juice of 1/2 lime
1 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts
1 cup fresh frozen coconut, 1/4 cup reserved

Glaze:  1 1/2 Tablespoons lime or lemon juice
               1/2 limes finely zested
               3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar

Preparation:  Preheat oven to 350°.Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

Combine flours, salt and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside.

Cream butter and sugar at medium speed until well blended.  Add in eggs one at a time, beating well after each. 

Add in mashed bananas, yogurt, extracts and ginger; mix well at low speed.   Add in cream of coconut, orange juice, lime zest and juice of 1/2 lime and mix well.

Stir in toasted walnut and coconut until well blended.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and top with  1/4 cup of the reserved coconut.

Bake for approximately 60 minutes. 

Prepare the glaze by whisking together the lime juice, zest  and the powdered sugar; set aside.

Remove from oven and punch several holes in the top with a skewer.  Pour half of  the prepared glaze over the bread while it is warm.  Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a cake rack.  Remove from pan and drizzle with the remaining glaze.  Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Options:  You can substitute macadamia nuts for the walnuts, but they are quite expensive around here.  Dark rum can be substituted for the orange juice, but since I seldom have any, I just use the orange juice.

Adapted from Cooking Light, September 2007

Linked to:  Arkansas Women Bloggers
Wonderful Food Wednesday
Foodie Friday
Adorned From Above