Ingredients
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Banana Bread Swirl
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1/3 cup overripe banana
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2 Tbsp + 2 tsp vegetable shortening
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1/3 cup granulated sugar
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1 egg
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1/2 tsp vanilla extract
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2/3 cup all purpose flour
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1/2 tsp salt
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Brownies
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3/4 cup butter
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3/4 cup cocoa powder
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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1 3/4 cup brown sugar
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3 eggs
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3/4 cup all purpose flour
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1/2 tsp salt
Directions
Fudgy… chocolatey… what’s that other flavor? These brownies are a marriage between two great comfort foods and they’ve been a hit with everyone I’ve served them to. The idea came to me while my sister was watching a baking competition show and one of the teams was making brownies and banana pudding; a few days later I was putting these in the oven for the first time. The brownie base starts with browned butter, which is essentially toasted butter. It gets deliciously nutty and adds a deeper flavor to the end product. This one is pretty straight forward, so grab some bowls and get mixing!
Steps
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1
Done
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Banana Bread SwirlPreheat oven to 350F. |
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2
Done
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BrowniesPrepare brownie ingredients and sift the cocoa powder and flour (keeping them separate). |
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3
Done
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To brown the butter: add the butter to a saucepan over medium heat and melt, stirring occasionally. The milk solids will separate from the oil, then it will become very foamy. Keep stirring or swirling the pan until it smells nutty/toasty and you can see it is golden. Take off the heat immediately to prevent burning. |
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4
Done
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Pour the butter into a heat-safe bowl and whisk in the sifted cocoa powder so they are completely combined. Adding the cocoa to the hot butter allows it to bloom and develop a deeper flavor. |
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5
Done
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In another large bowl, beat the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla until fluffy, ribbony, and increased in volume (this is the secret to brownie's crinkly tops, but you won't see it much on these). You've beaten long enough when you rub some of the mixture between your fingers and feel very few sugar granules. |
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6
Done
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Time to make art! Add the butter-cocoa mixture to the beaten eggs and sugar, folding gently until just combined. Then fold in the flour and salt gently until just mixed. Overmixing will cause too much gluten development and no one wants bready brownies -- fudgy all the way, please! |
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7
Done
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AssemblyPour the brownie batter into a greased (and optionally parchment lined) 9x9" square pan, then dollop the banana bread mixture over the top and swirl them together gently. |
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8
Done
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Bake for 35-45 minutes until a butterknife inserted in the center comes out almost clean, there might be a small smudge of batter and that's okay! As the brownies cool they will continue to cook, so taking them out at this stage will ensure they're fudgy and not dry or cakey. Once out of the oven, let them cool completely before cutting if you have to take pretty pictures of nice square slices like me. Otherwise, feel free to dig in while still warm. Enjoy! |
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9
Done
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