Saturday, February 27, 2010

Banana Bread - It's a Banana Bonanza!

I opened my freezer today to grab stuff for supper, when I was attacked by several frozen bananas! In my house, you use everything, and never throw anything away. So, when we get a plethora of bananas from the "Good Food Box" (a monthly box of fruits and veggies to promote healthy eating), we don't always use the bananas right away. So, into the freezer they go until I can make something with them. This time, however, I realized that I had not been using them as quickly as I should, the result being this:


Yeah, a lot going on in there (cookies, chicken, frozen pumpkin puree, bread, juice...). So, I pulled out some of my baking goodies, and decided to make a banana loaf.
Here's what you need:


BANANA BREAD:

- 1/2 c butter (or margerine)
- 3/4 c sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 c banana (about 3) mashed/thawed from frozen.
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 c flour

Instructions:

- preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Cream butter and sugar (well). Add eggs and bananas.
2. Add salt, baking soda and vanilla. Mix well.
3. Add flour slowly, stirring until just incorporated. Don't over mix.
4. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes (depending on your oven) or until a toothpick comes out clean.

ENJOY!

Add-ins:

Now, you can add Chocolate chips, but since I've given up chocolate (since Christmas... cry!) I' had to avoid baking with them. If you do add chocolate chips, add 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips or 3/4 large.

Another thing you can add is coconut. I think that the banana goes well with it. Just add 3/4 c of dried coconut.

Nuts: I hate nuts in Banana loaf, but not everyone shares my distastes. Funny story, when I was young, I would pick the nuts out of brownies and breads at school and throw them at my friends. Yes, mature, I know, but I would enjoy picking them out and throwing them while calling "♪ NUTS !♪" At least I gave warning. But I digress... For nuts, 3/4 cup for a batch is plenty. Unless you really like them, in which case, go nuts! Get it? Nuts?
Dork.



This is my plain bread, but it was so moist and good!


Enjoy with coffee or friends, or coffee and friends, and cribbage... always cribbage.
Now, that leaves some 7 bananas in my freezer. Maybe I should make extra, who knows. All I know is that it is lightly sweet, banana good...
Until next time!

1 comment:

cookies and cups said...

haha! that's a funny freezer pic. like where bananas go to die ;)
I have never tried just throwing them in there, but I think I am going to do it next time I have brown bananas...I am sure it works great for the banana bread..which looks fantastic, by the way!