Bananarama

It feels like ages since I last posted even though it's only been over a week, but in blogtime I guess that's pretty long. I have a big deadline at work coming up and crafting and blogging has screeched to a halt. I worked all day Saturday, but I took a break today for some much needed house cleaning and time with Buddy. 

The cruel summer weather has officially hit our corner of the world, because it was punishingly hot today, and having no AC for relief made it almost unbearable. The heat must've started to fry my brain as well because I promised Buddy we'd bake today. Apparently it just wasn't hot enough for me so let's make it REALLY uncomfortable and turn on the oven!

But all our discomfort was not wasted as we managed to bake a fudge marble cake and some banana bread. I try to bake something with Buddy at least once a week. My mom taught me to bake at an early age and once I got the hang of it, she let me have full reign of the kitchen. I'm hoping that Buddy will love baking as much as I do and maybe when he's older I'll reap the tasty benefits of giving him full reign of our kitchen.

I've been making this banana bread for years and it's one of Mr. T's favorites. It's light and fluffy, moist and not too sweet. My not-so-secret trick is to use very overripe bananas. I find bananas are really at their best for banana bread when they're practically black. Around here bananas tend to ripen overnight so I freeze the overripe ones for future bread making.

Anyway, if you can bear to turn on your oven in this weather, here's the recipe:

Fluffy Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar (I sometimes use 3/4 cup sugar for a lighter version)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 2/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed overripe bananas
1/2 cup sour cream (I use non fat plain yogurt for a slightly lower fat version)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla well. Add eggs, one a a time and beat until fluffy. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Sift a small amount of flour mixture into butter/sugar mixture, add a small amount of sour cream, and a small amount of mashed bananas and gently stir only until ingredients are mixed - do not over mix. Note: To get a light fluffy bread you must add all the ingredients separately and GENTLY stir them in small increments into the butter/sugar mixture. Repeat step until all ingredients are incorporated into butter/sugar mix. Gently stir in chopped nuts.

Bake in a large greased loaf pan or 2 smaller ones at 350 degrees for 1 hour. (Note: depending on the loaf pan size you use, and the hotness of your oven, the baking time may be a lot less. I start checking the loaf for readiness at 30 minutes. Over baking will cause the bread to dry out.)

Comments

[Spring]

I am intrigued by the addition of sour cream. Recently I found a recipe for banana muffins @cooks.com. This recipe used 1c. wheat flour and 1 1/4c. all-purpose. I think the addition of wheat flour and bananas which are mashed till slightly lumpy created the moistest banana nut muffins ever. Also the nuts were toasted and nutmeg was added along with cinnamon. The next time I get over-ripe naners I will experiment with your recipe by adding the wheat flour, nutmeg, and putting the batter in muffin cups. Have a great week.

[sally]

Looks delicious!

[capello]

Oy, I do not know how people function without a/c. Your banana bread looks really yummy!

[joyce]

Thanks for sharing the recipe -- Will try soon. My son already "pretends" to bake w/ his legos. He copies me when I bake cookies or cupcakes. I did watch food network almost all morning last last Saturday and the cook said he likes using over ripe bananas too and he said they are a little bit sweeter that way.

[Lilli]

*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=YUMMY!*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=

I especially like the look of the nuts on top of the bread. I once was given a slice of banana bread that had choc chips in it, and it was incredible! I've been meaning to try making it.

[lla]

Thank you for sharing the recipe - it looks delicious! Also, I have been trying for years to find a great banana bread recipe, so I have high hopes. (I've made lots of truly OK banana bread, but as of yet, nothing sublime....)

Fortunately for me, I also subscribe to the "slightly old bananas go in the freezer" trick, so we should be ready to go....

[Lauren]

Thanks for the recipe, I will try it. Also it was great to read the other comments...lots of great tips there as well.

[Veronica TM]

Thank you for the recipe, it looks delicious!
Hope you can take some time to rest.

[Rose]

Wow - you really are the best mom ever! It's gotten really hot here in Seattle, too, and the family knows I will not even look at the oven! This looks really yummy, I'll make some when the weather cools off.

[Jaden]

WOW! I couldn't resist....I just happened to have 3 ripe bananas sitting on my kitchen countertop. I used 2 of them for the recipe. Instead of walnut topping, I made a streusel topping. I gave it a wonderful crunch:

mix together:
1 1/4c flour
1/3c brown sugar
1/3c sugar
7T melted butter
Mix until crumbly. Spoon half on top of mixture before going into the oven.

This makes enough for double recipe of banana bread.

[Snowbear]

okay, that looks really yummy and I haven't had my dinner yet. I have 3 very black bananas sitting on the kitchen counter (i use 'em black too)--I will have to try the dairy free version of this recipie cause my boy loves the banana bread just like his mum.

[carolyn]

i agree - bananas have to be black and almost growing mold on the skin in order to make moist banana bread. i am always disappointed when i buy other people's banana breads at farmers' markets and such as it is invariably dry and nasty. even the most basic banana bread recipe - betty crocker or joy of or whatever - comes out great as long as your bananas are black enough.

[justJENN]

Bananas are for monkeys.
I really have nothing to say. I just miss talking to you.

[Mia]

Can't wait to make this fluffy banana bread. Sounds divine.
As I am a domestic ungoddess I cant answer any of the questions above sorry.
Mia

[Sheau]

mmm yummmy. Cute presentation. It has been really hot here in San Jose. Would love to try your recipes after the heat wave. The monkey behind the bread is cute!

[Lolita Blahnik]

I will try this recipe looks yummy!!!

[suzy]

I just made this now - yum! What a great way to use up squishy summer bananas. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

[laura]

oh you must feel sorry for all of us in Australia....... after a terrible cyclone in Queensland virtually all banana farms were destroyed, now we have poor quality bananas at 20 times the usual price...so i long for this banana bread so so very much but cant afford nanies, and esp not to let them spoil.....oohhhh:(

[Ali]

I printed this out ages ago and finally got round to making it yesterday, and you're right - it IS the bees knees. Knocks my old faithful Moosewood recipe (with coffee) for six. Thanks for sharing.