I finally got my hands on the Magnolia Table cookbook by Joanna Gaines! I’m so excited to try some of the recipes, everything looks simple and elegant! And tasty too. Just flipping through the book you can tell that these recipes are her everyday go-to’s. And what I love most is they don’t seem over complicated with special ingredients. One recipe I saw calls for Velveeta cheese! Seriously… Velveeta.
Trying to decide what to make first has been the hardest part! I thought I’d try the biscuits first because, let’s be honest, everyone is raving over them. But I ended up trying one I haven’t seen all over the internet yet: the after-school banana bread. Honestly my bananas were starting to go bad and I needed to do something with them.
Magnolia Table After-School Banana Bread
I love the stories that are incorporated throughout the cookbook, glimpses into Chip and Jo’s everyday life. She talks about making this banana bread every week for an after-school snack for her kiddos. She says they have the perfect recipe of adding butter on top and melting it in the microwave. I just love the idea of my kiddos coming home from school to some fresh baked goodies!
What you’ll need:
Nonstick baking spray, for the pan
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted & cooled
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 to 5 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional; see Tip)
1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar as needed
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350*F. Spray an 8×8 inch pan with non-stick baking spray or line it with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat together the butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well blended. Add the bananas and mix until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat just until combined. Add the pecans (if using) and mix until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the sugar over the top.
- Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let the bread cool slightly in the pan on a rack. Slice and serve warm with butter.
- When completely cooled, cover the pan with foil and store at room temperature for up to 2 day.
TIP: You can replace the pecans with 1 cup chocolate chips
I chose to replace the pecans with chocolate chips because, duh… chocolate! It’s also recommended to bake the bread in an 8×8 pan instead of a loaf pan. I think it makes it a bit more cake textured than bread-like which I am a fan of! This is seriously the best banana bread I think I have ever had! I just want to snack on it all day! And it was so easy. Plus my kiddos love it too. They would definitely not object to having this as an after-school snack! So go grab your over-ripe bananas and get to baking!! And grab your kiddos while you’re at it. I’m sure they’ll love helping just as much as mine did!
