Comfort Food Friday: Banana Bread

Did you know there was a National Banana Bread Day?

Yes, indeed there is. On February 23!

In my household, it is National Banana Bread Day many times a month. I always buy bananas and because they ripen so quickly, it is my favorite way to use them up. 

Here is a little bit of history for you.

Bananas appeared in the US in the 1870's and it took a while for them to appear as ingredient items for desserts. The actual banana bread recipe began being published in cookbooks around the great depression, as resourceful housewives did not wish to throw away overripe bananas (as they were still a costly item to purchase).

I found the following recipe from a little cookbook that I purchased in Barbados, on my travels.

I have used it for so many years, it is very simple and fast to make. The bread always turns out super moist and delicious.

By the way, a fully ripe bananas has spots. Some say that there should be absolutely no green, not even around the stem.

When the banana develops spots and easily peels, the starches will have fully developed into sugars. If you have the astringent puckering feel in your mouth after biting into one, you know that it was not ripe.

I personally like it the best when it has just turned completely yellow, no spots. How about you?

The popular curved yellow fruit is not only nutritious but has supposedly many health benefits. Some scientists believe that the banana may have even been the world's first fruit.

Dan Koeppel, author of Banana: The fate of the fruit that changed the world, traces the banana back to the Garden of Eden, where he believes it was the banana, not the apple, that was the "forbidden fruit", that Eve offered to Adam. 

Interesting...

Why do we use the expression the best thing since sliced bread?

Because bread is beautiful, amazing, magnificent and it is perhaps the best food ever created. 

I love bread (too much!) and I am sure you love it, too.

Today is Friday. Why not having a little slice of comforting banana bread...

Banana bread

Ingredients:

3 medium bananas (ripe)
3 oz butter or margarine
6 oz white sugar
1 egg beaten
8 oz all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

• Liquidise or mash the bananas (liquidising is preferable as it will make the mixture lighter)
• Cream the butter (or margarine) and the sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the egg.
• Beat in the sifted flour, baking powder and salt alternately with the liquidised bananas.
• Bake in a lightly greased loaf pan (or two small ones) at 350F for about 50 minutes. (If you are using two small pans, I find that the baking time goes down to 35 minutes.)

Enjoy and have a lovely Easter weekend!

Alexandra