Banana Bread

Steven and I don't like bananas but for some reason, we love banana bread - go figure... We buy a bunch of bananas and instead of adding slices to our morning cereal or enjoying one as a snack, neither of us will touch them. We wait for them to overripen (turn black) so we can make banana bread instead. The peculiar thing is, while many people complain their bananas ripen too fast thus forcing them to make bread, it seems like our bananas stay golden yellow for what seems like an eternity, preventing us from enjoying fresh baked banana bread.

This recipe was adapted from the Cook's Illustrated version. The original recipe advised against using sour cream, it's what I had in the fridge so I used it anyway. I also used pecans instead of walnuts because I don't like walnuts but you can omit the nuts entirely. I almost always decrease the amount of sugar in my recipes because I find most unadjusted baked goods cloyingly sweet. On the other hand, I almost always increase the amount of vanilla because I love the fragance and flavor.

Banana Bread
It is better to mix this batter by hand rather than a mixer.

3 large overripe bananas (mine were almost all black)
1 C pecans (optional, but I love them)
1/4 C sour cream (or yogurt)
6 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 C flour
1/2 C sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 ºF. Toast the pecans for 5 – 10 minutes, until they smell fragrant. Shake the pan every minute or so. Roughly chop and set aside.

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position. Grease and flour a loaf pan; set aside.

Mash the bananas. Add sour cream, butter, eggs, and vanilla.

In another bowl mix flour, sugar, pecans, salt, baking soda, nutmeg.

Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture until no streaks of flour remain. The batter will still be chunky but do not mix until the batter is smooth, otherwise the cake will be too dense.

Scrape the batter into the loaf pan and bake for around 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Notes:
At first bite, the bread may not taste sweet enough but the sweetness kicks in after a few seconds and it was perfect.

You can freeze whole bananas (unpeeled) to make banana bread another day. Just defrost the bananas before use (don't worry, they will be mushy). Peel and scrape the bananas into the mixing bowl. Some water will be released from the bananas due to the freezing but go ahead and add that to the bowl too, otherwise the wet to dry ratio will be off.

Other recipes:
Elise's Banana Bread recipe