Have you ever stopped to think, who was the first person to take an egg (something that comes out of a chicken’s, well, you know), crack it open, cook it, and consume it. Like really, WHO thought that was a good idea? I like to imagine that it was an accident. That a farmer dropped an egg onto a hot concrete floor and voila, sunny side up! (but I can’t figure out the part of the story where he decides to pick it up and eat it).
Now that I have gone grossly off topic, let’s get back to the point of my rant; this is how I feel about bananas (though not as strongly). What genius found a yellow object hanging from a tree, picked it, peeled it back and said “this looks like something I could eat and not die from.” In addition, who decided to wait until they were brown and gross looking, and incorporate them into a perfectly delicious baked good? Not that I’m complaining; Not only is banana bread one of my favorite desserts that is also considered an acceptable breakfast food (who doesn’t love cake for breakfast?), but it’s a great way to salvage bananas that would otherwise go to waste.
Though I haven’t always been the biggest fan of raw bananas, I am a huge fan of their dessert counterparts (banana bread, bananas foster, etc.). I stumbled upon this banana bread recipe forever ago and have made some adjustments to it over the years, and I must say, it is quite perfect. So perfect that it’s usually gone in a week. The bread comes out so soft and moist (I’m sorry, I hate that word but it’s the only way to describe it), and the top is crunchy and delicious.
The recipe as is makes four banana bread loaves, so I occasionally halve it and only make two, but I promise no one will be opposed to taking it off your hands if you have leftovers. I have even used these in the past to make banana bread pudding (stay tuned and I may share that recipe with you as well). You can also choose to add chocolate chips or walnuts, I usually add walnuts for extra crunch, but it will come out great without them too. No matter how you make it, it boils down to one thing, this recipe is bananans, B-A-N-A-N-A-S (yea, I’ve been waiting to add that in).
Just a few last minute tips; I like to use Bobs Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Flour; it makes me feel like I’m being somewhat healthy, and you should be able to find this at any local grocery store. I also use my KitchenAid wire whip head for mixing everything together, but the flat beater head for when I mix in the dry ingredients. I find that this blends everything together smoothly but still gives it that bread-like consistency at the end. Enjoy!
XoXo -Erica
The only Banana Bread recipe you will ever need.
- 3/4 cup butter
- 3 cups white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 6 ripe bananas mashed
- 1 16 ounce container sour cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tsp baking soda
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chopped walnuts optional
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
-
Preparation: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (150 degrees c). Grease four 7x3 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, mix together the last 3 ingredients (brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon)
-
In a large bowl, cream butter and 3 cups of sugar together. Mix in the eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda, and flour. Stir in nuts.
-
Divide the mixture into prepared pans, and sprinkle the top with the prepared cinnamon sugar mixture (and more nuts if you want!)
-
Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Enjoy!
You can halve this recipe if you only want to make two bread loaves, but trust me when I say they will be eaten quickly (and you can always give one or two away).
No Comments