Ripe Bananas? It's Banana Bread Time!
Who else picks up the pace in their step, when they see a reduced bag of ripe bananas in the grocery store? It is definitely my lucky day, and now have eight mini loaf pans of Banana Walnut Bread cooling on the kitchen counter!
Conveniently, the Real Canadian Superstore carefully packages ripe bananas for quick sale, with the recipe printed right on the bag!
I often make a double recipe, and while I usually dollop the batter into muffin tins with an ice cream scoop (the type with the squeeze handle), for quick baking, today I used eight mini loaf pans, placed on a baking sheet. The loaves were ready to take out of the oven when a wooden skewer poked into the centre came out clean, which today was 40 minutes, baked at 350 Fahrenheit. Muffins are usually done in 18-20 minutes. In any case, the kitchen smells heavenly, and I’m going to go put on a pot of tea.
Add the joy of fresh home baking, whether for yourself or a crowded kitchen, by baking muffins and freezing them. When I bake in a large loaf pan, I slice the cooled loaf into slices resembling those sold at coffee shops, wrap each individually in plastic wrap, then place the lot in a large freezer ziplock bag. No need to defrost when packing in your lunch, or to grab and go in the morning—the slices and individual muffins defrost quickly at room temperature.
TODAY’S BAKING HINTS
When I find a muffin or loaf recipe I enjoy, I experiment with different variations depending on what I have on hand—mashed bananas, apple sauce and pureed pumpkin (not the pie filling) can be interchanged with equal amounts in muffins. Add nuts or raisins, and a teaspoon of cinnamon or other spice. For variations within the same pan of muffins—half with chocolate chips, for example, scoop the batter into the pan, then mix in a spoonful of chips into each tin—sprinkle the top of each muffin, before baking, with sesame seeds or sliced almonds, to help differentiate your varieties! Personally, I'm partial to walnuts and raisins.
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| This delicious Banana Bread recipe was on the bag of reduced ripe bananas at my local Real Canadian Superstore |
BANANA BREAD
Ingredients
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) butter at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup flour (all purpose)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1egg
½ cup shelled walnuts, coarsely chopped
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F, grease 9 x 5 x 3” bread pan.
2. Cream butter & sugar till light & fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Sift all purpose flour, baking soda & salt together, stir in whole wheat flour & add to creamed mixture, mixing well.
4. Fold in bananas, vanilla & walnuts.
5. Pour mixture into pan, bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean—cool in pan 10 minutes, then on rack.
Makes one loaf.
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