Banana Bread

I know this is like my millionth banana bread recipe.  I dont know what it is, chocolate cakes, brownies, banana bread and zucchini bread, I keep trying new recipes.

I will tell you that I have never met a banana bread I didnt like.  There was one recipe I tried that was hard to bake, the top kept browning while the inside was still raw.  I never made that recipe again.  I suspect though if I had baked it in a bigger loaf pan of muffin cups it would have been better. Probably the only fault with that recipe was the size of the pan or the amount of pans.

What I like about this particular recipe is that there is a higher banana to flour ratio.  That really works for me because usually if I am making banana bread it is because there is a large amount of bananas wanting to be used up.

This recipe is SUPER moist.  I made some with walnuts and some without.  My one daughter is not interested in walnuts by any means.  I tasted one with and one without, definitely I prefer the ones with walnuts.

Banana Bread
Adapted slightly from this recipe at Epicurious.


1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
4 medium very ripe bananas (about 13 ounces), peeled and mashed
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan or one of these above) fancy, shmancy loaf pans.

Cream butter and brown sugar together for about four minutes.  Add in eggs one at a time.

In a separate bowl combine sour cream, vanilla and mashed bananas.  

In another bowl combine dry ingredients.

Add half the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.  Then all the liquid ingredients.  Then the rest of the dry.

Fold in walnuts.

Bake for about an hour.  If using said, fancy shmancy loaf pan, about 45 minutes.  But please check on whatever receptacle you are using because baking times vary.

Brown Sugar Banana Pop

I saw this one Whole Foods You Tube Channel.  I changed it up just a bit but still mainly the same thing.  Its very good.

Brown Sugar Banana Pop

3 bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon brown sugar

layer
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Pour some of the banana mixture into your mold.  Spoon in brown sugar mixture.  Layer more banana mixture.  Spoon in a final layer of brown sugar mix.  Finally, the last of the banana mixture. Freeze for at least 8 hours.

Banana Bread Muffins

When bananas are overly ripe they get this funny taste that I dont particularly care for.  My husband doesn't even seem to notice it.  If you don't like that taste, you can put a bit of cinnamon in.  If my bananas are more towards the brown side I use it.  If they are just starting to brown I don't. You don't especially notice the cinnamon but it balances everything out, in my opinion.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins With Peanut Butter Frosting

4 ounces butter (1 stick)
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 large bananas, mashed

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about five minutes.  Add in eggs one at a time.  Add in vanilla.  In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking soda and cinnamon.  Stir in banana to butter sugar mixture and then dry ingredients.  Finally, fold in the chocolate chips.  Spoon into muffin papers in a muffin tin 2/3 full.  Bake at 350F for about 20- 30 minutes.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
4 cups confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2-4 tablespoons milk

Blend together peanut butter and butter.  Add in the vanilla and milk and finally the confectioners sugar.

Banana Bread with a Crumb Topping

Change nothing of this recipe- it is super delicious.My husband exclaimed, I think this is the best banana bread you ever made.  I was a tad bit insulted... But I will take the compliment on the other hand of that statement.

Is it the crumb topping.  I don't know.  I do think it adds a lot.  However, I don't think that is the only reason why it stands out from the others I made.  Honestly I think it is the amount of eggs.  This is really light, Its not dense and it has terrific flavor.

Banana Bread with a Crumb Topping

1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 to 3 overripe bananas, mashed (about 2 cups)
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a large loaf pan or two smaller ones.

Beat together the sugar and butter and beat until smooth and the butter is fluffy.  Add in the egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in the buttermilk and bananas.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet until all the flour is incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans.

Make the crumb topping by combining the powdered sugar, flour, cinnamon salt and melted butter. Using your hands, crumble the mixture over the batter in the pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 - 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Banana Bars

Don't you just want to take a bite?

Delicious and easy.  A nice snack cake for school lunches.

Banana Bars

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream or buttermilk
1 cup mashed bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt


Grease an 10 x 15 pan x 1. Preheat oven to 350F.  In a small bowl combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt.  Set aside.

In a larger bowl beat the butter with the sugar. Add in eggs one at a time.  In a measuring cup combine all the wet ingredients, mashed banana, buttermilk, vanilla. Add half of the wet ingredients to the butter sugar mixture.  Add half of the dry.  Then the rest of the wet and last the dry. Just mix until incorporated. Pour into a 10 x 15 x 1. Smooth out the top.  Bake until golden around the edges- 20 to 215 minutes.

Sometimes you get lucky!  I had the great fortune of finding some long desired Adirondack chairs at a garage sale the other week.  It was the right price, the right quality, the right distance from my home (so I could get them home in my wee car).  They are the freaking BOMB!  I love them.  Looking forward to sitting out there with a margarita in hand.

I promptly put my old ones to the curb! And lucky again, a neighbor came and picked them up to rehab!  They are those ones that you put together - precut and ready. That was pretty awesome that she could use them.

I lost a few plants over the hard cold winter here.  My sage, my lavendar, a few bushes here and there. I replanted quite a few.

 My azaleas are looking all pretty.

I love this double wave petunias.  I have never been a real big fan of petunias but these I like.

Under The Palms

 

Oh, baby.  Have it anyway you like, this is delicious.  Choice A non alcoholic, choice B alcoholic.  This drink is delicious.  My daughter and I were totally wowed.

Yeah, here it is, 3:30 in the afternoon and I just enjoyed one of these.  It all started this morning when I was coming up with ways to get my daughter to drink the remainder of the mango juice.  Straight up, it just wasn't happening.  So I threw it in a blender and added some pineapple juice.  My intention was to copy Mc Donalds new smoothie.  Yuck, didn't like what I had come up with.  I added some cream- doesn't that make everything taste delicious anyhow.  After that I thought it needed something to round it out.  Oh yes, I have a stash of frozen bananas in my freezer for my soft ice cream I usually make with it.  Threw some of those in there.  We inhaled the drink. Then in the afternoon I asked her if she would like another one of those smoothies.  Yup.  After lunch there was a little left and I saw the Veev laying on the counter.  Hmmm, I wonder how that would be.  Mixed it in, chilled it.  Returned from my doctors appointment and wow was that ever good.  Had to share it with you.


Under The Palms

Choice A:  non alcoholic
8 ounce mango juice
6 ounce pineapple juice
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup frozen banana

Choice B: alcoholic
4 ounces mango juice
3 ounces pineapple juice
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2- inch chunks frozen banana
5 ounces Veev (acai 'ah-sigh-ee' liquor)

Whiz all the ingredients in a blender and pour into chilled glasses. Sit back and enjoy!
Dah-licious!