Texas Kitchen: Aimee Pruett’s pecan banana bread recipe

Austin-based blogger and 9-year AAA member Aimee Pruett has always been passionate about food. Before starting her blog, Food Banjo, Pruett worked as a food photographer, taking pictures for local restaurants and magazines. As she snapped photos of the beautifully presented plates, Pruett was inspired to re-create them.

Luckily, she had a great resource right at home—Pruett’s husband taught her several key techniques he’d picked up while working at restaurants. “I do 99 percent of the cooking in our house and for Food Banjo, but my husband is my official taste tester for all the recipes I create,” she says.

Some of her favorite dishes are inspired by her native state of Texas, including this pecan banana bread. “This recipe always makes me think about the pecans we’d gather from the trees in my grandma’s yard in Central Texas,” Pruett says. Pruett encourages experimenting with other ingredients such as coconut, cinnamon, or chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. In a large mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), add the butter and sugar and mix on a high speed until light and fluffy. Add the mashed bananas and eggs to the mixture and beat until combined. In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine. Add the flour mixture and vanilla to the batter and beat until just combined. Add most of the pecans to the bowl (reserving a few for sprinkling on top) and stir into the batter. Grease and flour a loaf pan, shaking off any excess flour. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Sprinkle the remaining pecans on top. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the loaf is browned and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.