The Lush Chef

Libations used: 2 or more Tbs of dark rum...
Libations left over: None, but you can swig from the bottle like a pirate...
When you have super ripe bananas, there's nothing better to do than make banana bread.  I had just gotten back from a quick trip to San Diego for a friend's wedding last weekend, and the few bananas I had left behind were definitely asking to be made into bread.  I was going to a concert later that night at the Hollywood Bowl, and had told everyone I was bringing dessert.  Joy The Baker's recipe for Brown Butter Banana Bread with Rum & Coconut seemed like the perfect dessert-like bread for a balmy summer evening.  Not only is there dark rum baked into the bread, but you can spread some on top when the loaf is done baking for some extra boozy goodness.  I think next time I make this, I may even add in some chocolate chips to really give it that dessert boost.  Either way, we all devoured this with plenty of wine and the hippie sounds of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros wafting through the air — a perfect LA night.

Rum & Coconut Banana Bread - makes 1 medium loaf
Ingredients:

• 12 Tbs of unsalted butter
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tbs dark rum, plus more for brushing on top (I used Meyers's Rum)
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
• 1 1/4 cup mashed bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
• 1/2 cup toasted coconut
• 1/4 cup untoasted coconut

- Heat oven to 350.
- Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt and brown the butter.  It will foam and crackle as it melts.  When the crackling is about done, the butter will start to brown.  Be sure to swirl around the pan as it browns, and then when it smells nutty, remove from heat.  Transfer the butter into a small bowl, so it doesn't continue browning and begin to burn.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, rum and yogurt.
- Whisk in the bananas.
- When the butter is cool, whisk that into the banana mixture.
- Fold in all the wet ingredients into the dry, thoroughly combining to make sure there are no pockets of flour.
- Fold in the toasted coconut carefully, trying not to over stir.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and top with the untoasted coconut.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, until done.
- Remove from the oven and let the bread cool for about 15 minutes before removing from the pan onto a wire rack to cool.
- Brush the top with some more dark rum.