Straight from the Esalen Cookbook. Healthy, moist, sweet (but not too sweet) and yummy! Perfect straight out of the oven, just cool enough to handle with butter melted over it!

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons butter, softened
1.25 cups sucanat
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
chopped walnuts for topping (or any other type of nut, if desired)

Instructions:

Cream butter and sucanat in a mixing bowl (or Quisinart) until smooth
Add eggs in one at a time
Then the mashed banana and buttermilk
Beat for another minute
Sift the dry ingredients together
Fold the wet ingredients in to the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until just mixed
Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan
Add the chopped walnuts to the top
Bake at 350 F for 1 hour
Once toothpick comes out clean take bread out of pan and let cook on wire rack