There's comes a time in a woman's life when she looks in her "freezer" and sees all the "bananas" piling up in there and she knows that she has to do "something". Everything in the quotes is literally true, but they add something don't they, a sort of mystery.
Too many bananas. That's what always prompts banana bread round here. I buy bananas with excellent intentions - they are filled with potassium and a nutritious snack for a child. I tenderly lay them in their own bowl on the bench so that their weird ripening gas doesn't make everything else age prematurely (what exactly is the banana's plan there by the way? Is it to make all other fruit appear so old and wrinkly that they are only attractive option? If that is it then I respect them all the more).
And no one eats them. Or everyone does, in one day. We are either crazy for banana's in my house or we HATE them. And those hated banana's go on to be frozen. They get a bit brown and speckled and then we give them the "Walt Disney". Except we freeze all of them, not just their heads. I wouldn't even know which end was the head - but I guess, if pressed, I would have to go with the bit that you peel from.
Some of the images that came up when I Googled frozen banana were so heinous that I had to avert my eyes. I just can't bear banana desserts. I don't number banana bread among dessert, it is breakfast. Back to me and my dislike of cooked banana - DISgusting, just revolting. Cooked banana, who thought that up! No doubt some desperate tropical islander who had eaten their millionth banana and said "No more, I have to have this cooked with chocolate in foil, like, right now". That's a real thing, people do that - in foil. Of all the things to do in foil!
Also you get a lot of pics like this:
Apparently bananas look like penises.
So all those frozen bananas in my freezer and me running out of room. Time to either throw them out, which I find difficult - my late Grandmother was a demon for keeping things too long and then cooking them and then feeding them to us. But it's inside my psyche - that thrifty dislike of waste.
Time for the banana bread. I've made a few loaves and have never really found a recipe that I liked - until today! Today was the day that the loaf stars aligned and Venus was in transit or something - and my plaintive call for a banana recipe was heard by "Simply Recipes". Their recipe is lovely and easy.
I desheathed the bananas in front of Gabe who spent the entire process saying "Ewwwww, argggg, Oh My Gosh, Aiiiiiiii, Mummy that looks terrible".
They really look bad, like big, pale turds - or fat foamy worms. I asked Gabe if he wanted to mash them and he just gave me this look of incredulity and said "No, I want another job, not that job". His voice implied "Anything but that job...".
Preheat the oven to 175 and line a loaf tin, mine is bigger than the one they suggested - both of my loaf tins are gigantic. As if I am planning to make loaves for oversize Nanna's in Canasta groups.
Mix the melted butter in with the bananas and then add in the egg, sugar and vanilla. Stir em up good - perhaps some provocative bon mot's regarding the state of the political world, infer that the Liberal party would be able to run Australia with care and thought, that type of thing.
Sprinkle the baking soda over the mixture and stir it in. An exciting chemical reaction is taking place now folks, if I cared more about it I would tell you more.
In a side note the cat is digging to China in his litter, he has been in there for about 10 minutes and he has been digging for 8 of those minutes. If I turn and look at him he freezes and looks back at me with unblinking intensity. Eventually my eyes water and I look away and then he starts digging again. When he's finally done he springs out of there and skitters down the hall like he's on fire.
Add the flour last and combine all the ingredients beautifully. Pop 'em in the pan and then bake for about an hour. I checked at 40, 45, 55 and 60 mins and yes, it took an hour.
It was lovely. Smelled great when cooking and tasted fabulous when we got it out. Good flavour, not too heavy - but not light. Really, exactly what I felt like. Gabe loved it and ate two slices - and that is a rare compliment from the 5 year old chorus of disapproval.
Make it. Eat it. Divest yourself of "frozen bananas". You'll feel better.
Too many bananas. That's what always prompts banana bread round here. I buy bananas with excellent intentions - they are filled with potassium and a nutritious snack for a child. I tenderly lay them in their own bowl on the bench so that their weird ripening gas doesn't make everything else age prematurely (what exactly is the banana's plan there by the way? Is it to make all other fruit appear so old and wrinkly that they are only attractive option? If that is it then I respect them all the more).
And no one eats them. Or everyone does, in one day. We are either crazy for banana's in my house or we HATE them. And those hated banana's go on to be frozen. They get a bit brown and speckled and then we give them the "Walt Disney". Except we freeze all of them, not just their heads. I wouldn't even know which end was the head - but I guess, if pressed, I would have to go with the bit that you peel from.
 |
| Frozen, skin on. |
Also you get a lot of pics like this:
 |
| Understandably. |
So all those frozen bananas in my freezer and me running out of room. Time to either throw them out, which I find difficult - my late Grandmother was a demon for keeping things too long and then cooking them and then feeding them to us. But it's inside my psyche - that thrifty dislike of waste.
Time for the banana bread. I've made a few loaves and have never really found a recipe that I liked - until today! Today was the day that the loaf stars aligned and Venus was in transit or something - and my plaintive call for a banana recipe was heard by "Simply Recipes". Their recipe is lovely and easy.
Ingredients
- 4 ripe (or previously frozen and thawed) bananas, smashed
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
I desheathed the bananas in front of Gabe who spent the entire process saying "Ewwwww, argggg, Oh My Gosh, Aiiiiiiii, Mummy that looks terrible".
 |
| Mmm, thawed banana anyone? No? Are you sure? |
Preheat the oven to 175 and line a loaf tin, mine is bigger than the one they suggested - both of my loaf tins are gigantic. As if I am planning to make loaves for oversize Nanna's in Canasta groups.
Mix the melted butter in with the bananas and then add in the egg, sugar and vanilla. Stir em up good - perhaps some provocative bon mot's regarding the state of the political world, infer that the Liberal party would be able to run Australia with care and thought, that type of thing.
Sprinkle the baking soda over the mixture and stir it in. An exciting chemical reaction is taking place now folks, if I cared more about it I would tell you more.
In a side note the cat is digging to China in his litter, he has been in there for about 10 minutes and he has been digging for 8 of those minutes. If I turn and look at him he freezes and looks back at me with unblinking intensity. Eventually my eyes water and I look away and then he starts digging again. When he's finally done he springs out of there and skitters down the hall like he's on fire.
Add the flour last and combine all the ingredients beautifully. Pop 'em in the pan and then bake for about an hour. I checked at 40, 45, 55 and 60 mins and yes, it took an hour.
 |
| Mine looked exactly like that, minus the bananas off to the side. |
Make it. Eat it. Divest yourself of "frozen bananas". You'll feel better.
With you all the way on the "banana question". Fully understand that. I also buy them, they don't get eaten, they get frozen, and then become banana bread. Which I also eat for breakfast. Though my recipe includes a half teaspoon of cardamom and walnuts. However. What is "All Purpose Flour"? Do you have it flown in from the USA? Because the only place I've seen it is in US recipes. And the question that always raises, for me, is how many other types of flour do they have? I really would like to know because it holds out the possibility (still my beating heart) that I may find, in this Lucky Country, some genuine bread flour(high protein)rather than the standard plain. Reveal this secret,oh Wise one.
ReplyDeleteLaucke make Bakers flour which is what you want. http://laucke.com.au/our-products/home-baker-products/specialty-flours/wallaby-bakers/ You can sometimes get that at supermarkets. :)
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