Banana Bread

This is my "go-to" Banana Bread recipe.  My roommate from college, Jennifer, gave this recipe to me over thirty years ago.  I have tried other recipes - with chocolate chips, with zucchini, with nuts, with cinnamon, etc.  My girls like the varieties but will often ask me to just stick to the basic banana bread. This recipe freezes well and is great if you choose to add pecans.

Banana Bread

1 cup sugar
1/2 canola oil
1 egg
3 mashed bananas
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
Chopped nuts (optional)

Mix together sugar, oil and egg.  Add mashed bananas and mix well.  Add flour and baking soda, mixing well.  Pour into a greased loaf pan.  Bake at 350 for 50 - 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cinnamon Crumb Banana Bread

I have mentioned before that I am always looking for that perfect Banana Bread Recipe.  We love taking really dark, ripe bananas and making Crater Cake - yummy combination of bananas, chocolate chips, cinnamon crumb topping... but sometimes you just want plain banana bread.

I saw this recipe somewhere online and liked the crumb topping idea so I gave it a try. I thought it was very yummy.  I did use three banana.  Also, some sweet breads don't always get done in the middle when I cook them in a loaf pan.  I decided to try this one in a small rectangular glass Pyrex dish. It turned out beautifully.  I loved it!   I found this recipe at Little Bits of Real Food & Real Talk

Please visit Little Bits of Real Food & Real Talk for great pictures and other ideas....

Cinnamon Crumb Banana Bread (adapted from Little Bits of....)

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup  butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup buttermilk ( I used 1/2 cup skim milk and 1/2 Tbsp white vinegar mixed together)
• 3 overripe bananas, mashed 
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Crumb Topping:
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Directions

In a large bowl, use a mixer and  beat together the sugar, egg and vanilla until combined. Add the butter and beat until smooth and the butter is fully incorporated. Beat in the buttermilk and bananas.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet until all the flour is incorporated. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray and pour in the batter. * Note that not all loaf pans are the same size. You may have extra batter, so just pour in enough so there is still about an inch or 2 of space before the top of the pan.  Pour into a pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Make the crumb topping by combining the powdered sugar, flour, cinnamon salt and melted butter. Using your hands, crumble the mixture over the batter in the pan. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 40 - 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  *Remember this will vary depending on the size of the pan

After slightly cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar and ENJOY!!  

Salted Caramel Banana Bread

Once again,  I had three over-ripe bananas.  I made Crater Cake recently and my go-to favorite Banana Bread recipe - which I just realized isn't on here yet.  I was looking around on the internet....Coconut Banana Bread, Peanut Butter Banana Bread, Brown Sugar Banana Bread, etc.  Then, I spied a recipe for ....Salted Caramel Banana Bread.  I found this recipe on the Betty Crocker website.  I followed the recipe pretty exact.  I think the only thing I did differently - I added a little more milk to the frosting so I could have a thinner frosting!

I loved it!  I have to say that my girls probably prefer plain - BANANA BREAD!  They are often wanting me to stick to the basics.  "Mom, could you please make regular banana bread... or regular chocolate chip cookies?"  They enjoy my cooking and love that I try new recipes but I think on occasion, they love it when I am not being creative in the kitchen!!

Visit Betty Crocker here .... and try this fantastic Salted Caramel Banana Bread!

 

Banana Pound Cake

We love pound cake and we love bananas.  I always seem to have ripe bananas and found this recipe in my Southern Living Homestyle Cooking   .  I try not to cook with shortening since it isn't the healthiest but I gave this a try anyway. It was very yummy - dense and rich like a pound cake but with great banana/pecan flavors!

Banana Pound Cake ( adapted from Southern Living)

1 1/2 cups shortening
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups mashed bananas
1/3 cup buttermilk  ( made my own with milk and little vinegar)
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Beat shortening at medium speed with mixer for 2 minutes or until creamy.  Gradually add sugar, beating 5-7 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating until yellow disappears.

Combine banana, buttermilk and vanilla.  Combine flour, soda and salt;  add to shortening mixture alternately  with banana mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Mix at low speed after each addition just until blended.  Stir in pecans.  Spoon batter into a greased and floured 10 inch tube pan.  Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 15-25 minutes - or until pick inserted comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Remove cake from pan, cool completely on wire rack.

Printable Version

Banana Bread with Pecans - Tyler Florence

Once again, I had ripe bananas.  I went on a search for another good banana recipe.  I ran across this yummy recipe on The Food Network .  I had everything needed and my family always loves a good banana bread.  This recipe has 592 positive reviews so I knew it would be a winner.  I loved it.  I love the texture and everything about it. Give this a try next time you have those ripe bananas!   I didn't change anything about this recipe so please visit The Food Network for all of the details.

Hummingbird Cake

I haven't been the best blogger lately.  With the beginning of school, volleyball season for our senior and the start of my preschool year - just a little on the busy side.  I have still been cooking - just not getting it on the blog fast enough.

On that note, I have to say this cake is..... AMAZING!  I had two ripe bananas instead of the normal three I use when I make banana bread.  I remembered this recipe from years back and thought I would give it a try.  I loved it.  It was so moist and flavorful and so yummy.  I did share a quarter of it with our good friends.  Greg gave me a bad time - telling me I was going to have to use a lot of hummingbirds to make a cake. :)  I promise - no hummingbirds were harmed in the making of this cake!

Hummingbird Cake

In a large mixing bowl,  mix by hand...
1 1/2 cups oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Add...
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt

Mix well.  Add...
2 bananas, mashed
1  ( 8 oz) can crushed pineapple, with juice
1/2 cup coconut
1 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350.  Pour well-mixed batter into 3 greased and floured 9 inch cake pans.  (I like to like the bottom of my cake pans with wax paper for ease in removal).  Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until done.  Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 pkg (16 oz) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Combine cream cheese and butter and beat until smooth.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.  Spread between layers and an on top.  You can spread on the sides too... if you have enough!  Top with chopped pecans.

Printable Version

Crater Cake

I had some very ripe bananas as I often do. I typically make banana bread, banana chocolate chip muffins, banana cake or put them in smoothies. I was looking through my recipes and found this recipe for Crater Cake. I didn't think I knew who gave me this recipe but a friend informed me that another friend Cindy gave it to us. Cindy was a hoot. She lived in Omaha but has since moved to Wisconsin. My family loved this cake! I couldn't get them to stop eating it. Actually, I couldn't stop eating it either. I think it would be great for dessert or for brunch or breakfast as a coffee cake.

Crater Cake 

1 cup butter 

1 cup sugar 

Cream the above, then add: 

 2 eggs 

1 tsp vanilla 

3 mashed bananas 

Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternating with sour cream.

3 cups flour 

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda 

1 cup sour cream or 1 cup plain yogurt (I used sour cream) 

Mix topping in separate bowl: 

1 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 cup brown sugar 

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips 

 Spray a 9 x 13 with cooking spray and pour in half of batter then top with half of the topping.  Add remaining batter then top with remaining topping. Bake for 350 for 50 minutes. Enjoy!

* I entered these ingredients into the Recipe Builder at www.weightwatchers.com and using greek yogurt (which turned out great) and having 20 servings per 9 x 13 - each piece would be 10 points plus

  Printable Version

Banana Pudding

Well, we are back in Omaha after our 10 day TEXAS adventure, we came home to a HOT house. AC quit working while we were away and our house is 94 degrees. The repairman - nice Francisco - came today to fix the problem and we are now down to 88. I think we will need a new unit soon as we have seen Francisco 3 times this summer. The heat made me think of this yummy dessert we had at my brother's house. His wife Stacy - made a Banana Pudding different from the one I make. I make one with cooked pudding and meringue but Stacy's was very summery and very refreshing! I will share both with you!

This version is from my mom who is a great cook. My dad and my husband request this often for Father's Day or any special occasion!

Banana Pudding (mom's version)

4 heaping Tbsp flour (2)
2 1/4 cup sugar (1)
7 eggs, separated (3)
4 cups milk (2)
2 tsp. vanilla (1)
2/3 stick butter (1/3)
2 boxes of Nilla Wafers (won't use all but I like to have plenty)
7 Bananas (3-4)


Meringue:
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar (1/4)
2 tsp. vanilla (1)

Separate eggs. Beat egg yolks with a little of your milk. Reserve egg whites for meringue. Put flour and sugar in a saucepan. Slowly pour rest of milk into flour/sugar stirring to avoid lumps. Pour egg mixture through a strainer into flour/sugar/milk mixture. Heat on med/med high heat stirring constantly. Mixture will begin to thicken after about 15 minutes. Add vanilla and butter. When butter is melted and a desired thickness for pudding has been reached, take off heat. If gets too thick - can always add a little milk. (This is the same mixture my mom makes for her chocolate pies and her coconut pies with a little adjustment)

Line a 11 x 13 glass dish on bottom and sides with Nilla Wafers. Add a layer of sliced bananas and a layer of cooked pudding. Repeat then add Meringue.

Meringue

Whites are at room temperature by now. Beat with mixer and add 1 tsp Cream of Tartar. Beat at high speed until whites form a stiff peak. Add sugar and vanilla and beat to get a little stiffer peak. Spread over pudding and seal edge. Bake at 350 just for about 10-15 minutes to brown meringue.

Serve warm or chill and serve cold. My hubby loves it cold - so do my girls!

*Numbers in parentheses are for a square pan. The rest is for a glass 11 x13.

**Chocolate pie - add 2 or (1 for one pie) heaping Tbsp cocoa with the flour mixture
**Coconut pie - when desired thickness of pudding is reached, add 1 1/2 cans ( 3/4 can for one pie) of coconut and sprinkle some of the coconut on top before browning meringue



Banana Pudding (Stacy's version)

1 small box of instant banana pudding
1 small box of instant cheesecake pudding
milk (according to pudding directions)
1 can condensed milk
1 small Cool Whip
7 bananas
1 box Nilla Wafers

Mix pudding according to directions. Add condensed milk and Cool whip to pudding mixture. Line bottom and sides of a glass 11 x 13 with vanilla wafers then a layer of sliced bananas on bottom then layer of pudding. Repeat. Top with crushed vanilla wafers. Chill!

Printable Version