Coconut Banana Bread

I am always on the lookout for a new banana bread recipe. In general, my kids eat about 9 pounds of bananas a week (seriously), but every once in a while I get stuck with a bunch that go brown before they get eaten. This recipe is absolutely, hands down the best banana bread I have ever eaten. EVER.  I think it's a combination of the rum and sucanat that give it this fabulously intense flavor.

Coconut Banana Bread
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sucanat
1/4 cup softened butter
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (3 bananas)
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon rum extract
1/2 cup flaked coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat sugar and butter together until well blended. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well to incorporate after each egg. Add banana, yogurt and rum extract. Beat until blended. Add in dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut.

Put batter in to a well greased loaf pan. Sprinkle 1 Tablepsoon of coconut on top of loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then allow to cool on a wire rack.

Adapted from Cooking Light.