Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

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I was first introduced to the recipe for Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze from Cooking Light Magazine by the lovely AwtemNymf, The Faerie Whisperer. A long time ago in another blog she asked me to try making it and I finally did but halfway through the recipe I realized I only had 1 cup’s worth of mashed bananas, not 1 and a half! Crap!

There were a lot of not-so-nice words flying around my kitchen when I realized that my three tiny bananas were nowhere near 1 1/2 cup of mashed bananas. What did I do? I had some very ripe strawberries so I mashed them to make up for some of the volume and I added an additional 1/4 cup of yogurt. I also only wanted the coconut inside the banana bread so I omitted it from the glaze. I had no idea how it was going to turn out. Thankfully, according to friends and family, it passed the test! It was lovely!

See, you can play with baking recipes and make something wonderful that is completely your own. Baking can be flexible, fun and delicious. Here is my version of the recipe for you to try:

Suzie’s version of Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 big bananas, 3 small)
1/4 cup of mashed very-ripe strawberries
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 tablespoons rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
Cooking spray

Lime Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
zest of 1 lime

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, strawberries, yogurt, rum, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coconut. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan.

Poke holes all over the top of the banana bread with a long skewer so the glaze can work its way inside. Combine powdered sugar, juice and zest stirring with a whisk; drizzle over warm bread. Cool completely on wire rack.