Side Pannel
Banana Bread Bars with Vanilla Bean Browned Butter Glaze
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cooking Time: 27 to 28 minutes
- Serves: 12-servings
Banana Bread Bars with Vanilla Bean Browned Butter Glaze
- Recipe Submitted by Herb on 11/15/2014
Category: Holiday, Desserts, Eggs, Breads, Fruit
Ingredients List
- =======Bars======
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup liquid-state coconut oil (canola or vegetable may be substituted)
- 1/4 cup cup sour cream (lite is okay; or Greek yogurt may be substituted)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large/3 med bananas)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- =========Glaze===========
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 of 1 stick) unsalted butter, browned (how to brown butter tutorial)
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or seeds from 1 large vanilla bean; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract may be substituted)
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- about 1/4 to 1/3 cup cream or milk, or as necessary for consistency
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
2. Bars - To a large bowl, add the egg, brown sugar, coconut oil, sour cream, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
3. Add the bananas and stir to incorporate.
4. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, optional salt, and fold with spatula or stir gently with a spoon until just combined; don't overmix.
5. Turn batter out into the prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and pushing it into corners and sides as necessary.
6. Bake for about 27 to 28 minutes (start watching closely by 25 minutes) or until the center is golden and set, springy when touched lightly, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
7. Baking times will vary based on moisture content in bananas; bake until your bars are done. Place pan onto of a wire rack to cool while you make the glaze.
8. Glaze - Brown the butter (click for tutorial). Cook butter over medium-high heat in a small saucepan until it's amber to brown in color, about 5 minutes depending on pan size, but watch it closely so it doesn't burn.
9. I swirl the pan in the last minute or so to make sure I can really see the color changes. Butter will go through stages of hissing, sputtering, and making noise until the water cooks off at which point the browning occurs. Butter will smell nutty and aromatic.
10. Transfer butter, including brown bits at the bottom of the pan (they're flavor powerhouses, keep them) from pan to large mixing bowl which stops carryover cooking.
11. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla bean paste, optional salt, and slowly add the milk, whisking until smooth. As necessary, add additional cream (or confectioners' sugar) to reach desired glaze consistency. Glaze should be of medium thickness and easily pourable.
12. Evenly pour glaze over bars (they don't have to be cooled first), smoothing it lightly with a spatula if necessary, but glaze will likely just slide into place.
13. Allow bars to cool in pan uncovered for at least 2 to 3 hours, (or overnight and cover with a sheet of foil) before slicing and serving so glaze can set up.
14. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week (I'm comfortable storing glazed items at room temp), or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
2. Bars - To a large bowl, add the egg, brown sugar, coconut oil, sour cream, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
3. Add the bananas and stir to incorporate.
4. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, optional salt, and fold with spatula or stir gently with a spoon until just combined; don't overmix.
5. Turn batter out into the prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and pushing it into corners and sides as necessary.
6. Bake for about 27 to 28 minutes (start watching closely by 25 minutes) or until the center is golden and set, springy when touched lightly, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
7. Baking times will vary based on moisture content in bananas; bake until your bars are done. Place pan onto of a wire rack to cool while you make the glaze.
8. Glaze - Brown the butter (click for tutorial). Cook butter over medium-high heat in a small saucepan until it's amber to brown in color, about 5 minutes depending on pan size, but watch it closely so it doesn't burn.
9. I swirl the pan in the last minute or so to make sure I can really see the color changes. Butter will go through stages of hissing, sputtering, and making noise until the water cooks off at which point the browning occurs. Butter will smell nutty and aromatic.
10. Transfer butter, including brown bits at the bottom of the pan (they're flavor powerhouses, keep them) from pan to large mixing bowl which stops carryover cooking.
11. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla bean paste, optional salt, and slowly add the milk, whisking until smooth. As necessary, add additional cream (or confectioners' sugar) to reach desired glaze consistency. Glaze should be of medium thickness and easily pourable.
12. Evenly pour glaze over bars (they don't have to be cooled first), smoothing it lightly with a spatula if necessary, but glaze will likely just slide into place.
13. Allow bars to cool in pan uncovered for at least 2 to 3 hours, (or overnight and cover with a sheet of foil) before slicing and serving so glaze can set up.
14. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week (I'm comfortable storing glazed items at room temp), or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
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