the banana bread saga- i've been meaning to get to this for months.
...years & years ago, a wonderful family friend named dalta gave my mom her beloved banana bread recipe. it is delicious. my mother makes it beautifully. it crests on top like a wave in the hawaiian surf-which my mother L O V E S. my sister makes it perfectly. the top rises like mt. fugi- i am not sure if she is a fan of japanese geography, but that's what popped into my mind. mine? mine sinks in the middle like a brown abyss. & it's chewy. & very bad.
i cannot make the recipe, try as i might, & i HAVE been trying- for 26 years. at least. joy, on the other hand, turns out a perfect loaf every single time. she totes it to all family get- togethers & brings it over when someone is sick or has surgery & it appears at all holiday breakfasts & brunches. hers is dark brown & dense & has marvelous flavor as well as coveted height. i've renamed mine "julie's sunken banana- taffy loaf surprise". i've always hated surprises.
gratefully, about 18 years ago, i discovered a fabulous alternative to dalta's impossible banana loaf in our church cookbook & it has become a staple in my kitchen, turns out great whether in a loaf or muffins, & i make it as often as i have extra bananas hanging around- which is not often since my son is part monkey. his potassium levels must be off the charts. further complicating matters is the fact that i discovered a recipe for buttermilk banana cake with banana icing that i tried out on the team one football buffet night last fall that is about the best thing ever made with a banana. it's $ m o n e y $. so, as you can see, i'm justifiably conflicted when it comes to extra bananas.
but for now, i will share this banana bread recipe that i love & can actually make with success. dalta's should probably stay a family secret since joy & mom are the only ones who can make it anyway. & probably jana. she's a fab baker, too, but she has 10 kids & my guess is she TRIPLES the recipe & heaven KNOWS how she scares up 18 over-ripe bananas. though she does have some great wisdom about food & raising Godly children & dating & life & pest-control products & maximizing storage space....my favorite of her nuggets of wisdom concerning such matters as this is: "always prepare all carrot & strawberry & zucchini & banana & even chocolate cakes in LOAF pans, that way you can call them BREAD & eat them for breakfast". i like the way she thinks. even if she can make dalta's banana bread & i can't.
*banana bread*
1/2 c. crisco
1 1/2 c. sugar
4-6 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. bran flakes or oatmeal
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts *if you like nuts baked in your bread, which i do not
cream crisco & sugar. blend in bananas, eggs & vanilla . add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. fold in the nuts. or not. grease & flour (or pam) a big loaf pan or 2 small ones or about 18 paper lined muffin tin cups or even a bundt pan. bake @ 325* for about 40 minutes for a loaf/loaves- less for muffins ...i often double this recipe if i am very crafty & hide enough bananas from john. * this recipe was originally submitted in 1993 by gail n. to give partial credit where credit is due......i added the cinnamon*
-the snackmom
