I've changed this simple recipe so much that I can't remember where I got it in the first place. On the Internet for sure...but where? The day I gazed at the over ripe bananas and they looked back with an accusatory stare, I figured I had to find a way to use this weekly occurrence of bananas going bad. I found this simple recipe that could be done without getting the mixer involved and I tried it. It was, of course, very easy and it was as good as most banana breads that I had tried, but yesterday I did some things to the recipe that rendered it special. You know how you can slice into a bread or a cake and it kind of ripples in a silken ribbon and you bring it to your mouth and awareness of exactness dances on your tongue?? That's what happened. (The same is true of Solo's poppy seed cake recipe from the can--perfection.) Maybe it was just the exact ripeness of the bananas, maybe it was the Pecans from Sam's that Pam gave me, I don't know. It was just right.
The recipe as it appeared on the Internet first and my additions next.
3or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
I had six bananas and I put all six in the mixer bowl along with a cup of whole pecans and turned on the mixer and let these two items go until the result was as smooth as it could get. (About as long as it takes to feed three dogs rice and chicken for breakfast.)
1/3 cup of melted butter, cooled
Just add it right in
1 cup sugar (can easily do with only 3/4 cup)
just add it in
1 egg, beaten
just add it right in along with
l teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
Mix then add
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
add it in and mix just a little and then take the bowl and finish it with a spatula, mixing just enough to blend.
Butter a loaf pan and pour in this goodness. Bake in a 350 oven for an hour--but that is too long for my ovens, one of which is a convection--so about 50 minutes in a convection. You just have to test it and keep an eye on it the first time to judge the amount of time. An hour seems like too much time to me.
Take it out when done and cool completely.
While it is cooling make a cream cheese icing. This recipe did not call for any icing at all, but I remember a banana bread that one of my student's parents brought to school for a bake sale and everyone wanted that loaf. It had icing, so that is what I did. A little powered sugar, a little soft butter, a little milk and 4 ounces of cream cheese, mix and slather on top of the loaf that has cooled. The end!
This is Wednesday, so Cook's Corner came today. My former cooking teacher Betty Rosbottom's new book came out and some of her recipes were featured today. She seems to be doing a Sunday series: Sunday Soups then Sunday Roasts and now Sunday Brunch has appeared. Sunday Casseroles is next which should be out fairly soon because she has wanted to do that one for years and now seems to be the right time. I am not good at breakfasts, I can't seem to get everything out at the same time. So I may pass on this one and take a look at the casserole book. Anyway, she is a good qualified cook and a good writer, so you may want to scan the publication. Betty also has a blog (www.bettyrosbottom.blogspot.com) and a website (www.bettyrosbottom.com)
