Bananas for You

Bust out this bread on Valentine's to make your significant other go-rilly bananas! It's packed with dulce de leche infused with my favorite Gorilla Glue flowers. Who doesn't love flowers on Vday?! Shout out to Chef Scott Peabody for making this delicious recipe with me. 

Gorilly Dank Banana Bread
Makes 3 loaves

Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened at room temp
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup unbleached AP flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• pinch of ground cloves
• pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1 cup mashed bananas (from 2 very ripe bananas)
• 1/2 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1 cup Dank Dulce de Leche, plus additional, for drizzling

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 300ºF and grease 3 small loaf pans (I used 2½ X 7 X 2” disposable trays).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, and ground spices. Stir into the butter mixture until just incorporated before adding the mashed bananas, yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla.
4. Stir in the nuts and divide ½ of the batter between the three pans. Dollop ½ of the dulce between the pans, add the remaining batter, and lastly dollop in the other half of the dulce.
5. Swirl the batter and dulce together by pulling the tip of a skewer or chopstick through the pans in a spiral pattern.
6. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating after 25 minutes. The banana bread is done when the top center feels solid to the touch.
7. Remove the breads from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack. (Drizzle immediately with additional dulce, if desired.) Allow them to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

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