When Hurricane Irene knocked out my power last week, I confess I wasn't thinking about the meat in my freezer. I was worried about the mountains of banana bread. Go ahead, call me a hoarder. But my stash of the sweet stuff is what I call being prepared.
I have the recipe for the one banana bread no one will ever say no to — because banana bread, I've learned, is the perfect staple for anyone who ever has to do food as a gift. Someone's having a housewarming? Here's a banana bread! Potluck? I've got dessert! Neighbor mowed your lawn when you were down with a summer cold? There's no better way to say thank you than a loaf chock full of your favorite easy-peel fruit. And as we move from summer — with its bounty of fruit — toward winter — with its slim pickings — bananas are the one staple that's always easy to find.
Technically the recipe — which comes from my mom — is more banana cake than banana bread. It's baked in a loaf pan just like your standard "bread," but it's sweeter and less dense. Why bother? Because what sets a good banana bread apart from the bunch is the moisture content. And even after a few weeks in the freezer, this version is as moist as you can get:
Ingredients:
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 medium bananas, smushed
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 tsp. vinegar
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees and grease loaf pan.
2. Measure out milk and dump in vinegar. Set aside.
3. Cream butter, slowly adding sugar until light.
4. Add banana, eggs, and vanilla and beat well.
5. Mix remaining dry ingredients together and slowly add to the banana mixture.
6. Slowly add in the milk/vinegar until the dough has turned soupy.
7. Spread in greased loaf pan, and bake for 55 minutes to an hour or until a knife dipped in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool on the counter for at least one hour before dumping the bread.
Are you a banana bread fan? Is this the one fruit you can find all year round?
Image via shimelle/Flickr