A blue-ribbon recipe: No-sugar banana bread among contest winners

Entering the Creative Activities Building at the Minnesota State Fair is like taking a peek into hundreds of kitchens around the state.

Glass cases holding jars of fruits, vegetables, jellies, honey, maple syrup and more line the walls. Nearby, the large walk-in coolers hold rows of cookies, cakes, muffins, breads and other baked goods.

Many will enter the annual Creative Activities competitions, vying for a ribbon, but few will win. One of the lucky ones is Gina Walker of Savage, who was awarded a blue ribbon in one of the special contests — the Splenda Magic Baker "Low-To-No Sugar Showdown" — for her No-Sugar Gourmet Banana Bread recipe. Walker had never entered a contest before, but her friend, who has diabetes, encouraged her to enter this no-sugar treat. In addition to a blue ribbon, she won $200. (More winning recipes are at BlueRibbonGroup.net.)

Curious who won the ribbons this year? Find all the winners in the baking, canning and specialty categories at mnstatefair.org/competitions/creative-activities, including a digital archive of past winners.

Makes 2 loaves, or about 24 servings.

From Gina Walker of Savage, who won one of the specialty competitions at the Minnesota State Fair.

• 1/2 c. (1 stick) melted butter

• 1/2 c. vegetable oil

• 1 1/2 c. Splenda Magic Baker

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 tsp. coconut extract

• 1 tbsp. orange juice

• 1 1/4 c. mashed, overripe bananas

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1 1/2 tbsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

• 3 c. flour

• 1/2 c. pecans

• 1/4 c. mini chocolate chips

Directions

Place baking rack second shelf from the bottom and preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spray two 8-by-3 inch loaf pans with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix butter, oil, Splenda, egg, vanilla, coconut extract, orange juice and bananas together and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and flour. Add pecans and chocolate chips. Add dry mixture to banana mixture; mix well.

Fill loaf pans 2/3 of the way. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour. Do not open the oven while baking. After an hour, begin to check with a toothpick every few minutes to make sure bread is done in the middle. (The toothpick should come out clean; adjust baking time as needed for varying pan sizes.)

Remove from oven and let the bread sit at least 10 minutes before removing from the pans. Transfer to a wire rack and cool before slicing.