20--- Candied Bacon-Crusted Peanut Butter Banana Bread aka 'Elvis Bread'

I know what you're thinking. And oh yes I did.

My inspiration is Elvis's favorite sandwich. Peanut butter.... bananas.... bacon. A few less of those sandwiches and his heart may have been able to handle all of the prescription drugs. Let that be a lesson to you. This is a 20. No doubt about that.

Candied Bacon-Crusted Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Makes 2 loaves

10 slices bacon
1 cup + 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
3 cups mashed bananas
2/3 cup plain low fat yogurt
3/4 cup peanut butter
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup white sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground flaxmeal (a LITTLE nutrition, ok?)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup chopped dry roasted unsalted cashews

CANDIED BACON
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the strips of bacon on an oven safe baking rack that has been lightly greased over a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup). Sprinkle brown sugar evenly (or as best you can do) over each strip of bacon (use 1 Tbsp total).

Bake for 10-20 minutes. About halfway during baking, flip the bacon over and sprinkle brown sugar over them again (1 Tbsp total). Continue to bake until crispy (do not burn). Remove from oven and cool the strips.

Once crisp and cool, chop into coarse pieces. Set aside.


BREAD
Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees. Spray two 9×5-inch loaf pans with baking spray and sprinkle with flour. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, flax meal, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon and ground allspice.

In a medium bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, yogurt, and peanut butter. Stir in eggs and sugars. Blend mixture with a handheld mixer until smooth.

Pour the wet mixture into the larger bowl with the dry ingredients. Fold together with a spatula until no more flour bits remain. Fold in the chopped cashews. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pans and sprinkle evenly with candied bacon pieces. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, covering with aluminum foil halfway through baking. Remove from oven when a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before running a butter knife along the edges of the pan and inverting the bread onto a wire rack to cool completely.