Boatload of Banana Breads

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch.

You really are a heel.

You're as cuddly as a cactus,

You're as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch.

You're a bad banana with a greasy black peel.

After those lyrics, one would surmise that bananas with greasy black peels are a bad thing.  Stop!  Don’t believe it for a minute and certainly don’t throw them out!  They are a necessary ingredient to one of life’s finer treats:  Banana Bread.  Wikipedia describes it as a moist, sweet, cake-like, quick bread.  Good banana bread is all of those things, and won’t be as good if you try to make it with anything less than overly ripe bananas.

For the four variations that I attempted for this week’s post, I needed a total of 11 bananas.  To wait and watch that many Musa acuminata go “bad,” was not an easy thing.  I repeatedly reminded myself of what was waiting for me on the other side of ripe.

There is simply no good reason for tossing bananas that have passed their prime.  Even if you don’t have time in the moment to make a batch of banana bread, just toss them into your freezer instead of the garbage can.  As they wait for you in the arctic recesses of your freezer, the skin will actually turn darker and darker until it becomes completely black.  Upon thawing, you’ll know the meaning of “greasy” as the oil from the banana breaking down inside permeates through the skin.  (Don't stop reading!)  Snip off the stem with a pair of kitchen shears and out comes nothing that resembles a banana…but the intensity of the flavor that it now contributes to the recipe is incredible.  Try it.  You’ll never throw another banana in the trash.

This week we start with a basic Banana Bread recipe.  I’ve tried about a half dozen different recipes, and this one is simple, moist, and flavorful.  It is also easily adapted to other variations.  Stay tuned for those later in this post.  Let’s start with plain old banana Banana Bread.

BANANA BREAD

(Click on any image to enlarge)

Ingredients:

½ cup butter

¾ cup brown sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking SODA

¼ teaspoon salt

2¹/₃ cups mashed overripe bananas (approx. 4 medium bananas)

2 eggs, beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.  Lightly grease or spray non-stick cooking spray into a 9”x5” loaf pan.

It’s best to start with softened butter, if possible.  Add the butter and brown sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer.  Cream both together.

While they are mixing, sift the remaining dry ingredients, (flour, baking SODA, and salt), into a separate bowl and set aside.

After the butter and brown sugar have creamed, add the banana and beaten eggs and mix until well-blended.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mixer’s beater so that everything is blended.

Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture.  Stir until just moistened.

Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.  (Whenever you're making banana bread, the volume of batter is going to vary, just because bananas vary in size.  This is also going to be true with the recipe variations that follow.  Always leave about 3/4" space at the top of the loaf pan.)  Bake in a 350° oven for 60-75 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Let the bread cool for at least ten minutes, and then turn out onto a cooling rack.  

As banana bread is moist, refrigerate any that is older than 24 hours.

Three variations follow.  Follow this basic recipe making the changes described in each version.  The baking time of 60-75 minutes is approximate.  Always use the toothpick or cake tester method to know when it's ready to come out of the oven.  Good bakers never determine doneness by the clock!

PEACHY BANANA BREAD

For this variation, use the basic recipe above, but reduce the amount of bananas by half, and add two fresh peaches.  Remove the skin using the blanching technique described in a previous post and pit the peaches.  Puree one peach in a blender or food processor and dice the other peach into small pieces.  (If it’s not too ripe you may be able to do this by pulsing in a food processor.)

Follow the basic recipe's directions, adding the peaches at the same time as the bananas.

BLUEBERRY-BANANA BREAD

Again, use the basic recipe above, reducing the bananas by half, and adding 1½ cups of fresh blueberries.  However, do not add the blueberries at the same time as the bananas.

Instead, after the banana mixture has been mixed with the sifted dry ingredients, fold in the blueberries.

“Folding” was described in a previous post.  There is less liquid in the ingredients in this variation, and as a result, baking time should be slightly shorter.

CRANBERRY-PECAN-BANANA BREAD

This is my personal favorite.  You will reduce the bananas by only one-fourth for this variation.  Prepare ½ cup of chopped pecans or pecan pieces by placing them on a cookie sheet and toasting them in a 350° oven for 5-10 minutes.  Remove and set aside.  Prepare ¾ cup of dried cranberries or Craisins® by placing them in a microwave-safe container along with ½ cup water.  Heat on high in the microwave for 2½ minutes.  Set aside.  Use the basic Banana Bread recipe, remembering to reduce the bananas by one-fourth.  Do not add the cranberries or nuts to the electric mixer.  Instead, add them, along with any liquid remaining with the cranberries, when you add the banana mixture to the flour mixture.  Incorporate all ingredients until just moistened.

There are many more possibilities to try.  I may attempt an apple cinnamon version next.  If you have a variation, let me know.  Enjoy!