Saturday, November 14, 2015

This Post Is Bananas

Hi guys! Today is a busy day--Justin has to work and C has her first-ever basketball tournament, so we will be tied up all day. So I planned ahead to share a recipe. This banana bread is my husband's favorite because it's not dry at all (I hate the word "moist." But it's acceptable (barely) when describing baked goods.

This is actually Emeril Lagasse's recipe. I've never cooked any of his other recipes; I think I got this from a kids' cookbook he did and that I checked out of the library. It did not make me yell "BAM!" but it is delicious and has joined our favorite recipes.

Emeril's Banana Bread
  • Shortening, butter, or cooking spray
  • 3 very ripe bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 c. light brown sugar, packed
  • 3/4 c. vegetable oil
  • 1/2 c. sour cream
  • 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder (I have no idea why this uses both; perhaps they do different things?)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
  • 1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large loaf pan, or two smaller pans, or a muffin tin--whatever you have is fine. Mash the bananas in a small mixing bowl. [I just noticed that the original recipe specifies to peel them first. I guess you do have to state that in a kids' cookbook!]

In a larger bowl, combine eggs, sugar, oil, and sour cream. Stir until smooth.

Add the cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, salt, mashed bananas, and nuts and stir to combine.

Add flour and stir till just combined. Do not overmix or your bread will be tough! [I think this was the first recipe that told me this. Light bulb!] Pour batter into pan(s) and bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes for two smaller loaves, 80 minutes for a large one. Remove from oven and let cool. Turn out of pan to finish cooling.

Also, I realized too late that I had accidentally thrown out the pecans I'd been saving when I cleaned out the pantry this week. I substituted chocolate chips, forcing myself to use restraint because my husband doesn't like things that are "too chocolatey." I don't understand that, but whatever. I'll almost certainly like this version better.

Enjoy!

UPDATE: Apparently any chocolate in this recipe is "too chocolatey" for my husband. He was very nice about it, though. C has a mild allergy to bananas so she's out. But the boy loves it so I'll freeze the other loaf (or send it to a teacher; they need strength for this time of year.)

1 comment:

  1. Sour cream is an interesting addition - would make it even moister (sorry). I used to make banana bread a lot, but now my mom makes banana muffins regularly and sends them over for the kids, so I just give her all my rotten bananas and learn to live with my codependency.

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