SuperSimple Recipes
Best Banana Bread
From the recipe box of travel writer Carole Terwilliger Meyers.
A friend in college gave me a simple one-bowl recipe for banana bread that was so easy to make and so good to eat. I lost that recipe, but this one is almost as easy and just as good. I have even used frozen bananas (see directions at bottom of recipe) and the bread turned out great.
4 overripe bananas (5 will make it moister)
Put in large bowl and mash.
½ cup melted butter (1 stick) (or ½ cup vegetable oil)
2 large eggs, whisked
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Put in small bowl and whisk. Add to large bowl and mix.
¾ cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
Add to large bowl and mix.
1 cup walnuts
Add to large bowl and mix. Put in greased loaf pan.
350 degrees, 1 hour. Stick with a toothpick; it is done if it comes out clean. Let cool.
Frozen Overripe Bananas
whole in the peel
Put your unpeeled overripe bananas in a heavy freezer bag. Mark the bag with the date you put them in the freezer. They will keep well for about 2 months. When you are ready to use the bananas, take out the number you need and let them defrost for about an hour. The peel will have turned black and they look yucky, but don’t bother peeling them because that can be super messy. I just cut off the top inch of the banana and then squeeze the insides out. It is really icky to witness, but also kind of fun. Kids will love it.
in pieces out of the peel
Place peeled bananas in 3- to 4-inch pieces on a cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes or until the bananas are frozen. Place the frozen bananas into a heavy freezer bag. These should keep well for about 3 to 4 months. To use in something like a smoothie, you can blend them in while still partially frozen. For use in baked goods, thaw the banana first.
(www.berkeleyandbeyond2.com; copyright Carole Terwilliger Meyers)