Labbits Like: Banana Poppy Seed Bread With Orange Zest

The labbits prefer their bananas bright and yellow and without brown spots. When bananas get really ripe, they make banana bread! This version skips the walnuts (which some of the labbits are allergic to) and adds poppy seeds and orange zest, to fancy pants it up.

Banana bread is a quick and easy bread to make, and doesn't require kneading or even anything more than a fork to mash and mix. It's a perfect Sunday morning kind of bread.

If you prefer your banana bread in muffin format, that's easily doable, and even quicker to come out of the oven. Look for the recipe remix down below, and print both versions here.

Banana Bread, pre-bake.

Banana Poppy Seed Bread With Orange Zest

Not pictured: flour, which is very important!

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas, peeled
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds
Zest of one medium orange (about 2 tsp)
Vegetable oil and flour for the bread pan


Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease and flour a bread pan and set aside. 

In a small bowl, mash the banana with a fork until smooth (a few lumps are ok). Add egg, sugar and butter and mix well.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, poppy seeds and orange zest. Add banana mixture and mix until evenly moist. Pour into the prepared bread pan and bake 50 - 60 minutes or until loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.



*RECIPE REMIX!*
For muffins: Spoon batter into a prepared muffin tray and bake 25 - 30 minutes or until tops of muffins are golden brown.

Allow to cool in the pan 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool further. Serve at room temperature.

Yields: One loaf, 12 slices, OR 12 muffins