A new twist on an old classic. Since I married a man who LOVES banana bread (not that I don't... he's just more of a banana enthusiast...) I've tried to find ways to mix it up a little. Our favorite is a chocolate marbled version but this one was quite tasty. With a hint of coconut, lime and rum, it was the perfect addition to the original banana. I let the topping cool in the pan too long (the bread wasn't ready) and it hardened quickly. So, rather than spreading it on top, it was more like "crumbling" it on top.
And just for fun, if you ever wondered why recipes recommend adding dry and wet ingredients alternately to the mix, I researched that very question. It has to do with the formation of gluten which results when certain wheat flour proteins come in contact with water. Gluten inhibits the rising of your baked products. And so, with this process, the first batch of dry ingredients gets coated with the fat which interferes with the formation of gluten. Alternating the rest of the ingredients while mixing as little as possible results in a smooth batter with little gluten formation. And now you know! :)
*information courtesy of http://www.kitchensavvy.com/
