A few years back, let’s see, wow, it was 13 years ago when Zach was finishing up the 8th grade in Florida, I’m thinking May, we went over to my sister-in-law’s on the other side of the state, to West Palm Beach, and we made plans took their boat to the Bahamas. We drove over on a Friday and early Saturday morning, we boarded the boat for the, I’m thinking, about 90 minute ride, to one of the islands. Once you get out a little ways, there is no traffic. At one point, the water was like glass and we were just gliding atop the water, with no one in sight; a little scary, quite beautiful and very peaceful. Not long after that, some friends met up with us and together we made the trip. It was a fun couple of days with the guys spear fishing and Katie, her girls
and I, relaxing at the quaint little resort hotel pool on that Saturday to late in the afternoon on Sunday when we made the trip back to West Palm. While we were in the Bahamas, we enjoyed a sweet bread that was absolutely delicious…
Recently, a friend posted a recipe from a well known baking website for a Hawaiian Bread. It looked sooooo good and it gave me a flashback to that trip on Katie & Rick’s boat to the Bahamas and the sweet bread served that weekend which is native to the islands. I was only able to see the ingredients on her post and it was on my mind to come back to it for this week’s Marvelous Monday. When I went back this weekend, an error, I’m sure on my end, prevented me from seeing the notes and directions for the recipe. Sooooooo, putting on my thinking cap, adding a little of this, (coconut oil, pecans and coconut flour) and omitting a little of that (1/2 cup of sugar, switching out some of the wheat flour some of the pineapple & juice) and well, “here you go!” Tropical Banana Bread was served along dinner last night, as a little snack with some butter right out of the pan-after letting the pan sit sideways for 10 minutes before cutting, and I could imagine this as a dessert with some freshly whipped cream. Also, this would be nice in a lunchbox for you or your kiddos once school starts.
Thanks to my friend for the inspiration for today’s post and the lovely bread on display in the cake dome on our counter and this week’s snack in our kitchen…It’s a Great Day Friends 🍍
Recipe
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, butter and sprinkle with flour a loaf pan.
-1/4 cup coconut oil softened
-1/2 cup (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
-1/2 cup sugar (I used an unrefined, any will do)
-2 large eggs
-1 ripe banana mashed
-3/4 cup of canned pineapple pieces and liquid/juice
-1 1/4 cup unbleached flour
-3/4 cup coconut flour
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
-1/4 cup unsweetened coconut (and some for garnish on top prior to baking)
-1/2 cup chopped pecans
Directions
- As mentioned above, preheat oven and prepare loaf pan.
- Blend in a bowl with a whisk, dry ingredients and set aside.
- Chop pecans and set aside.
- Place coconut oil, unsalted butter and sugar in a bowl of a mixer and blend.
- Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, to mixture in the mixing bowl. Blend well in mixer.
- Add mashed bananas and pineapple /w/liquid and stir in, mixer is off.
- Now add dry ingredients and blend with a spatula.
- Add the chopped pecans and fold in.
- Smooth into buttered and floured bread pan, sprinkle with a little coconut on top and bake for 55 minutes. Check for doneness. If needed bake an additional few minutes. Set timer so bread does not burn both times.
- When bread is done, place bread pan on it’s side on a wire rack. (if you do this on top of the stove, you will make a mess with the coconut on top and it will get all over your stove top. This is why you’ll want to use a rack on the counter-easier to wipe up the counter than the stove). After pan sits for 10 minutes turn bread out onto rack. I like a warm slice with butter. Wait until cool to slice the rest of the bread. Enjoy!
