My friend Jing and I went to Whole Foods Market after work. As I was walking along the produce aisle, I suddenly realized that I had a bag of bananas from last week’s shopping I don’t recall eating. Senior moment already? Looks like someone could use some Bananas (Banana as Brain Food).
Of all the fruits in the whole wide world, banana is my least favorite. Unripe it has a waxy texture and a slight biter taste; Overripe it’s mushy, over sweet with an alcohol like smell.
But I am not ready to admit my defeat and threw away these overpriced organic dark skinned fruits, so I decided to make my first ever banana bread.
I like this recipe on Food Networks because the addition of the pecan nuts:
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 overripe bananas
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together for a good 3 minutes; you want a light and fluffy banana cream. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla; beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated; no need to overly blend. Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Give the pan a good tap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.
Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Don’t get nervous if the banana bread develops a crack down the center of the loaf; that’s no mistake, it’s typical. Rotate the pan periodically to ensure even browning.
Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes or so, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
The result is an incredibly moist and nutty golden brown goodie that I will enjoy for breakfast tomorrow morning.
So you see when it comes to bananas, there IS a second chance.
Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence of Food Network.
Travel-Gourmand.com 