The Louie Family Food Blog!: January 2023

Miso Pecan Banana Bread — Chris Simpson for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Pappas.

This banana bread is a formidable treat: moist on the inside, with a crunchy bite around the edges. Banana bread may have emerged to prominence around the 1930’s — in the midst of the U.S.’s Great Depression, alongside the urge to economize recipes and the emergence of widespread baking powder usage — but the dish is now a global mainstay. It’s just as satisfying over coffee in the morning, as a quick bite for lunch or shared over a scoop of ice cream after dinner. The crunch of pecans complements the bread’s softness. Miso adds complexity alongside the banana’s sweetness. Be sure to utilize the ripest bananas you can find because it really will make a difference. This banana bread can hold for several days on the counter or in the fridge, if you have any left.

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INGREDIENTS

Yield: One 9- to 10-inch loaf

½teaspoon vegetable oil, plus more for pan
1cup/120 grams pecans
1teaspoon fine sea or table salt
2cups/256 grams all-purpose flour
1teaspoon ground cinnamon
½teaspoon ground nutmeg
½teaspoon baking soda
½teaspoon baking powder
½cup/113 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
1cup/220 grams packed brown sugar
2large eggs, lightly beaten
3tablespoons milk
2tablespoons white miso
1tablespoon honey
1teaspoon vanilla extract
4very ripe bananas, mashed (1¾ cups/358 grams)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

PREPARATION

Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9- or 10-inch loaf tin, then line the base with parchment paper.
Step 2
Toss pecans on a parchment-lined baking sheet with salt and oil. Bake until fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. When cool, chop to your desired consistency.
Step 3
While the pecans cool, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl.
Step 4
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar using an electric mixer until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in eggs, milk, miso, honey and vanilla extract until well-combined. Gradually beat in dry ingredients until just combined.
Step 5
Using a spatula, stir bananas into the batter to combine evenly. Add half of the pecans (and any salt on the pan) to the batter and mix to combine evenly throughout. Add batter to the loaf pan, smoothing when complete. Sprinkle the remaining pecans evenly on top.
Step 6
Bake until a wooden skewer inserted in several areas around the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes. Tent with foil if it starts to darken too much on top before the middle is baked through.
Step 7
Let bread sit in tin for 10 minutes before removing and setting on a rack to cool for 60 minutes. Serve with coffee, ice cream or entirely by itself