My first thought when this recipe came up on the Baked Sunday Mornings schedule was “meh, another banana bread”. Always full of promise, but it rarely delivers.

This recipe had one thing going for it – honey. I’m crazy about honey, and I especially like to bake with it. After careful consideration, I decided to use a local avocado honey in the bread. Dark, complex, not too sweet.

My bread baked up fine, up until the point where it got that damn crater down the middle, just like a quick bread always does (right? Or is it just me that gets the crater?). The crust was getting really dark brown, and it smelled done. I stuck a skewer in a couple of spots and was convinced it was ready until I tested the crater – and came out with raw dough.

I threw caution to the wind and decided to leave the loaf in the oven until the stupid crater was fully cooked. When it was, I was sure my bread was going to be dry and crumbly. The top turned a deep brown, almost black – just on the good side of being burnt.

When we finally cut into the bread, it turned out moist and absolutely delicious. I love the honey and the poppy seeds, and I think this is my new favorite banana bread.

For the recipe and to see how the other Baked Sunday Mornings bakers fared, head over to Baked Sunday Mornings.

• Honey Banana Poppy Seed Bread (Baked Elements, p. 212)