Quick Banana Bread

 I cannot believe how long it has been since I added anything to my blog! So sorry for neglecting this because I really enjoy doing it.  In the meantime, Alan and I went on a cruise to Norway - here is the link to that - http://seeingnorway.blogspot.co.uk/   It was a fantastic trip and we are looking forward to spending time with new friends we made on the journey and also travelling again with Fred Olson! 

Somehow my days just seem to fly by now and I have not really taken the time to cook or bake.  I can't even blame this fantastic, warm and sunny weather for distracting me.  Just no time!

However, I have noticed a trend in the very poor quality of bananas in general and it has begun to upset me.  To give an idea of where my head has been - I have actually been throwing these poor quality bananas away!  How on earth could I have strayed so far from who I am?  Ever since one of my very first housemates taught me how to take almost rotten bananas she collected from our local A&W Root Beer (many years ago) and make delicious banana bread and muffins, I have never thrown leftover bananas away.  Until this summer.

Well, I am back to my senses and here is a recipe from the Joy of Cooking my Mom bought me in 1971.  (I wish I had the one my Dad bought her when they were first married and he realized she didn't know how to cook, but it got lost in her move over here.)

This was as easy as any banana bread or muffin recipe I have found, always a good thing in my house!

I have tried to convert parts of the measurements to Imperial.  But things like teaspoons are universal so I left them as is. And I have a good supply of shortening brought over from the States.  No idea why I went on a mission to have as much as I do. For years, I always just substituted butter or margarine for shortening and it works just the same.

Quick Banana Bread          Makes one 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf

Preheat oven to 350F, 170C

Have all ingredients at room temperature

Sift before measuring:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour       320g plain flour

Resift with:

2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend until creamy:

1/3 cup shortening               63g butter or margarine
2/3 cup sugar                      190g sugar
3/4 tsp grated lemon rind

Beat in:

1 - 2 beaten eggs
1 - 3/4 cup ripe banana pulp  ( I used 3)

Add the sifted ingredients in about 3 parts to the sugar mixture. Beat the batter after each addition until smooth.

Optional:

Fold in - 1/2 cup broken nut meats or
1/4 cup finely chopped apricots 

Oh who am I kidding? that is much too healthy when we have perfectly good butterscotch chips just waiting to be used up!  so almost a cup of them.  Sorry forgot to measure them, just use a coffee cup or mug! 

Place the batter in a greased bread pan.  Bake the bread for about 1 hour or until done.  Cool before slicing.

I must admit it was delicious!


"On a traffic light green means go and yellow means yield, but on a banana it's just the opposite. Green means hold on, yellow means go ahead, and red means where the hell did you get that banana at ... " - Mitch Hedberg