My mom didn't love to bake, but, she did bake a few things on a regular basis. We always seemed to have some chocolate chip cookies, an apple pie or a loaf of banana bread. When the cookie jar was down to the last few, out from the pantry came a bag of chocolate chips. When the last slice of pie disappeared from the pie server, a half dozen apples came out of the crisper-drawer of the refrigerator. And, year round, there always seemed to be a bunch of bananas on the countertop ripening for the next loaf of banana bread. All of her baked goods tasted great, and, ss a working mom, the recipes were simple and straightforward. The cookie recipe was printed on the bag Nestle Toll House Morsels, the apple pie recipe was clipped from a Woman's Day magazine, and, the banana bread recipe was bookmarked in Betty Crocker's Cookbook.
Buttery-rich, super-moist & full of banana flavor banana bread:
For the dry ingredients:
1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
For the wet ingredients:
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas, from 4-5 very over-ripe bananas
1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon pure banana extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
no-stick cooking spray, for preparing loaf pan
~Step 1. Spray a 8" x 4" loaf pan with no-stick and preheat oven to 325° -- I use a glass loaf pan, so I can keep an eye on what's going on. In a medium bowl stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Place one banana in a 2-cup measuring container and use a fork to mash it -- keep adding bananas (one-at-a-time) to container and mash until you total 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas. Place the butter in a 1-cup measuring container and gently melt it in the microwave.
~Step 2. Place mashed bananas, melted butter, eggs and extracts in a large bowl. Using a hand-held rotary beater, beat to combine. Add sugars and beat again. Using a large spoon, add and fold in the dry ingredients. Transfer batter to loaf pan.
~ Step 3. Bake on center rack of preheated 325° oven 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the highest part of the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool, in pan, for 4-5 minutes. Invert pan to remove bread from loaf pan to cool completely, on rack, 1-2 hours, prior to slicing and serving.
Simple, straightforward old-fashioned goodness:
Best Basic Banana Bread - Simple & Straightforward: Recipe yields 1 standard-size loaf/10-12 servings.
Special Equipment List: 8" x 4" loaf pan, preferably glass; fork; 2-cup measuring container; 1-cup measuring container; hand-held rotary beater or hand-held electric mixer; large spoon; cake tester; wire cooling rack
Cook's Note: Quick bread is an American term that refers to bread that is quick to make because it doesn't require kneading or rising time. It originated during the American civil war, when the demand for food and bread was high. Cooks began rapidly producing bread and baked goods that were leavened with baking soda rather than yeast. Nowadays, the leavening agent is predominately double-acting baking powder, or, a combination of baking powder and baking soda. For more detail, read ~ What is Quick Bread and What Defines Quick Bread ~.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2021)
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