| | hi all. it's been awhile, so i thought the best way to come back online was with a recipe. (i'm concurrently working on a random post because carrie tagged me. see comments on previous posting.) so here's the skinny on the banana bread that's in the oven.
it started with an unfamiliar recipe i found saved on a sticky note, and morphed to reflect the things i had on hand. it's morphing again now that i'm writing it down to reflect my own editorial opinions. feel free to morph it again, however you see fit. (i'd suggest nuts or vanilla, if i could be so bold.)
enjoy!
2 cups all-purpose flour
(yeah right. i had 5/4 cups white flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, and 1/4 cup brown rice flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon ginger (call me crazy)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 overripe bananas (WHY did someone leave half a banana to rot in my kitchen?!)
1 pear, cored and diced not-too-small-not-too-big
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs plus 2 egg whites (left overs that got thrown in)
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract (i used imitation)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. I personally don't reheat until I'm halfway through the recipe, but maybe that's because I'm slow. And the great thing about melting sticks of butter (which you're about to do) is that if you leave on the wax paper wrappers, you can just fish them out to use in greasing your pan.
Melt the butter mostly and set it aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients (all the dry ones); set aside.
With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip 2 bananas and sugar together for a good 3 minutes (like I did this: I just used a hand whisk until I figured it wasn't getting any fluffier). Add the egg whites and beat some more, then add the melted butter, eggs, and almond extract; beat as if your life depended on it and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Put the previously set-aside dry ingredients in a sifter and sift in while beating. Trade in your whisk for a spatula when you think it necessary. Fold in the pear and 1/2 banana (roughly mashing it to keep some sense of texture) with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Give the pan a good drop on the counter to get any air bubbles out. Don't drop it on the floor. You're just risking way too much.
Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden brown and toothpicks come out clean.
Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes or so, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. From here, you're on your own: butter, honey, confectioner's sugar, hot fudge, slices, wedges, sandwiches, bread pudding, croutons...
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| | Posted 10/20/2007 5:27 PM - 33 Views - 4 eProps - 6 comments
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