2020 has turned out to be a great panic. News is full of coronavirus related updates, internet is always down, and no one is quite sure of how to plan ahead or to take any rational decision at this moment.
What remains, however, is the comfort of family and food. Amidst all of this confusion and worry, I sought solace in baking with my sister every night and serving a very simple and quick plate of banana bread for our parents.
What particularly makes banana bread a wonderful bake is that it makes for good comfort food. It’s moist and easy to slice, and you don’t have to be a great cook or baker to master the recipe. It also avoids food waste because you can always reuse your limp and mushy bananas that you no longer wish to eat.
You don’t need to come up with the next incredible film, startup, novel, or economic model to feel productive and sane during these times. All you can simply do is bake and feel the bliss of time slowing down for a while.
Ingredients:
–1 cup of sugar
-2 cups of flour
-1 teaspoon of baking soda
-1 teaspoon of vanilla
-1 tablespoon of milk
-1 teaspoon of cinnamon
-1 teaspoon of salt
-1 teaspoon of baking power
-2 eggs
-3 to 4 overripe bananas
-½ cup of butter
Directions:
1. Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F and butter the pan until the butter mixture is melted.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the melted butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy, then add the 2 eggs one at a time and beat the mixture well after each egg is added.
3. In another small bowl, mash the 3 overripe bananas with a fork, then mix in the milk and cinnamon. In a third bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the banana mixture to the cream mixture of butter and sugar and stir until combined, then add the other dry mixture of the flour and mix.
5. Pour the batter into a buttered baking pan and then put in the oven to bake for an hour. Insert a toothpick or fork in the center to make sure it comes out clean, and then let it cool for 15 minutes.
For storage
According to master chef Dominique Ansel, banana bread can be wrapped in a plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for two days. For longer storage, you can place the plastic wrapped bread in a container and freeze it for up to three weeks, and then let it thaw overnight to reuse it again.
Optional: additional flavors can be added within the final batter such as raisins, nuts, or dry fruit.
Ingredients and directions were all from Food Network.
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