3/4 cup hot, strong tea
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Banana Filling
Chocolate drop candies or colored sprinkle for garnish
Butter and flour 8 1/2-x 4 1/2-x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350.
Divide tea between 2 small bowls. Stir brown sugar into one until dissolved. Stir honey into the other until blended. Set both aside.
In medium bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Mix well. Stir in sugar mixture until blended. Quickly stir in honey mixture. Pour into pan.
Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes until skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan set on rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool on rack.
Trim off ends of bread. Cut remaining loaf in slices 1/2-inch thick. Cut each slice into a floral shape with 1 3/4- to 2-inch cookie cutter.
With a sharp paring knife or very small round cookie cutter, cut a 1/2-inch round hole in cneter of half the flowers, forming "doughnut" shapes.
Spread solid bread flowers with filling. Top with "doughnut" slices. Fill hole with chocolate drops or sprinkles. Serve at once.
Banana Filling
1 (6-ounce) ripe banana
1 teaspoon lemon juice
In medium bowl, mash banana with lemon juice.
