Toasted Coconut Banana Bread

Recently the Twin Ports area has begun to acquire a whole slew of chain restaurants and other attractions that have been commonplace in bigger cities for a long time, like Chipotle, Kwik Trip, Panera, etc. etc. I'll stop at Chipolte once and a while, but from what people said about it I expected to faint from glee with the overwhelming awesomeness of it, and instead I found it was just a REALLY expensive heap of rice, beans and like a cup of sour cream, even when you plead for just a little. (healthy? a-hmmmmmm...)..... The reason I'm thinking of new chain stores here is that I really actually do appreciate Kwip Trips. They're clean, the people who work there actually talk to you like you're a human and not just in the way of their next smoke break, and they have cheap decent food essentials. Having served my time as a gas station attendant, I know many customers make you want to reach over the little glass counter full of lottery tickets and shake them, but I'm generally always very polite and uncomplicated when paying for my coffee or gas or what-have-you. And the reason I have so many bananas in my house at all times now is because they're really cheap and good there. Which results in the need to experiment with some new banana recipes, since they're my all-time favorite fruit (and also because they keep falling out of my freezer onto me)

Toasted Coconut Banana Bread

- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour ( I used Bob's Red Mill White Whole Wheat)

-1 t. baking powder

-1/4 t. salt

-2 very ripe bananas

-1/2 cup melted coconut oil

-2/3 cup sugar

-2 eggs

-1/2 t. vanilla

-1 cup coconut flakes

Directions:

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9 inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Whisk flour, baking power and salt in a large bowl. Mash bananas and whisk with eggs, then add melted coconut oil,vanilla, sugar and 3/4 cup coconut flakes and mix until combined. Fold into dry mixture until just combined  and bake 35-40 minutes until toothpick inserted in comes out clean. Half way through baking sprinkle the remaining coconut on top and cover with aluminum foil.

The very corners got a little dark, but it still tasted amazing. I'm glad I used the aluminum foil on top or it probably would have gotten pretty crunchy.

A divine combination, it stayed nice and moist, and the coconut oil really added to the depth of delicious coconut.

Coconut is one of those foods like olives and mushrooms that a lot of people don't like, but maybe this bread could convert you? Enjoy!