Bourbon Soaked Raisin Banana Bread Recipes

SUPER MOIST RUM & RAISIN BANANA BREAD

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, place the sultanas (or raisins) and add the dark rum (or bourbon). Bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Remove the saucepan from heat, cover with its lid. Let it sit for at least an hour, or until almost all the rum (or bourbon) has been absorbed into the sultanas (or raisins). Drain the excess liquor.
• Pre-heat the oven to 170 deg C (or 325 deg F). Grease and line a loaf tin (23 x 13 x 7 cm / 9 x 5 x 3 inches) with baking paper.
• Place the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix together well till thoroughly combined with a wooden spoon or using your hands.
• In a mixer bowl, place the melted butter and sugar and beat until blended. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the mashed bananas. Then, with a wooden spoon, stir in the pecans (or walnuts), drained sultanas (or raisins) and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture, a third at a time, combining well after each third.
• Pour out into prepared tin . Bake in the middle of the oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. At the end of 1 hour, test with a metal or bamboo skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf. If the skewer comes out with wet dough, continue to bake for another 5 minutes, and test again. Repeat every 5 minutes until skewer comes out somewhat clean of sticky batter. Leave in the tin on a rack to cool. Slice thickly or thinly as desired, and serve warm.

BANANA BREAD WITH BOURBON RAISINS AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Put the raisins and bourbon or rum in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Then remove from the heat, cover and let it soak until the raisins have absorbed most of the liquid, at 1/2 least hour or so. (You can do this step overnight.)
• Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and combine well with a wooden spoon.
• In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and sugar and beat until blended.
• Beat the eggs into the butter and sugar mixture, 1 at a time, and then beat in the mashed bananas.
• Using a wooden spoon, stir in the chopped pecans, soaked raisins and vanilla extract.
• Now add in the flour mixture, about 1/3 at a time, stirring well after each addition.
• Scrape the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 1 to 1 and 1/4 hours. When it's ready, a toothpick or fine skewer inserted in the center should come out fairly clean.
• Let the banana bread cool in the pan on a wire rack.

BOURBON (OR RUM) RAISINS

Steps:

• Find a mason jar or other glass container with a tight-fitting lid.
• Place the raisins in the jar.
• Pour the bourbon (I use Maker's Mark)over the raisins--enough to cover them.
• Give them a shake and close up the jar.
• Let it sit in your cupboard for a few days (although after just a few hours the raisins will begin to plump), inverting the jar occasionally to make sure all the raisins are getting coated.
• Voila!
• For bourbon or dark rum, I suggest dark raisins.
• For white rum, I suggest golden raisins.

BOURBON SOAKED RAISIN BANANA BREAD

Steps:

• 1. In a medium size saucepan combine the raisins and the alcohol and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and let stand one hour or overnight in the refrigerator. Before using in batter, discard any liquid that remains.
• 2. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°. Grease or spray with Pam a 9x5 loaf pan.
• 3. In large bowl combine all ingredients except for raisins and walnuts with electric mixer until well blended. With a spoon, stir in the raisins and walnuts.
• 4. Turn in to prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. Cool in the pan on a rack. Slice thin and serve at room temperature. It ALWAYS tastes better the next day.
• 5. *I frequently have bananas that go brown and I peel them and put them in freezer bags and freeze them. I then take them out a couple of hours ahead of time and use them in this recipe.