FAMILY MEDICINE® COLUMN
By John C. Wolf, D.O.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine®
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

CHEF WOLF'S ANNUAL HOLIDAY TREAT: CALORIE-RICH BANANA BREAD

In preparation for the holiday season, this week I've dispensed with my usual discussion of human illness. For the last several years I've given the recipe for a food I like to prepare for my friends and family at this festive time of year, and I'll do the same again this year.

I'll share with you my recipe for a special banana bread. It's special for two reasons. One, bananas rarely last long enough at my house to be incorporated into bread; and two, the butter used in this bread makes it a high-fat, high-calorie food. Such foods are not a regular part of my diet. First, I'll give you the version I make at anytime of year. Then, I'll tell you about the substitutions that make this bread a suitable Christmastime treat.

Banana Nut Bread

2 large ripe bananas - mashed 4 ounces cream cheese

1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs 1/3 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 coarsely chopped nuts

1 stick unsalted butter

Cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until smooth and light in color. Add the eggs and bananas and continue to mix until well blended.

Sift the flour and baking soda together, then mix with the dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk. (I often use powdered buttermilk instead of fresh and find it works quite well.) Add nuts if desired. I like almonds, pecans or macadamia nuts in this bread.

Pour into a 9 x 5 x 3 inch metal - not glass - bread pan that has been lavishly buttered or coated with "Pam." Bake at 325 degrees until the bread pulls from the side of the pan and also springs back to light touch - about 75 minutes.

For the holiday version of this recipe, I use both real butter - because of its unsurpassed flavor - and 1/2 cup of candied fruit. I also decorate the top of the loaf with red or green candied cherries. The candied fruit is available in most grocery stores as "fruitcake mix."

The fat content and calories of this bread can be reduced by using corn or canola oil in place of butter. Also, low-fat cream cheese and yogurt can be used instead of the buttermilk. Plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt is fine, but the calories can be reduced even more by selecting a no-fat yogurt. Bake as before. The result is quite good, but the "high-fat" version is overwhelmingly chosen as the tastiest.

I personally hope that you have a delightful holiday season filled with good food, good friends, and abounding love.

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to John C. Wolf, D.O., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Grosvenor Hall, Athens, Ohio 45701.