When life is getting you down or the weather has been a little too overcast for far too long, that is the perfect time to turn to some quality comfort food. Whether it is a dish that your grandmother used to make on a cold winter’s day or that crowd pleasing pasta dish you excel at, comfort food has a way of brightening everything. So, when the forecast has been icy and another storm is on the horizon (Yay winter!) I turn to my mom’s homemade banana bread. This recipe is simple to make but packs a whole lot of yum. Nothing beats the smell of bananas coming out of the oven. It literally has my mouth watering just thinking about it! I’m a simple gal, so throwing some butter on a piece of fresh banana bread and walking out the door is the best start to a soon to be snowy day.
So when I decided to make some I realized that I was fresh out of ripened bananas. What’s a girl to do? Pick up the phone and call Mom! Not only does she have some ready to go but my dad would LOVE to see the back of his freezer =) As a thank you, I made two batches and left some for them to enjoy. My mom is awesome and the last time she baked banana bread for me was the morning I was leaving for a flight to California. The plan was to pick up a friend in San Diego and road trip it up to Seattle and Vancouver. I asked my mom if she would do me the biggest favor and make some of her awesome banana bread for me to take so we could have it for breakfast while we traveled. She got up early and made some for me fresh.
To keep the bread fresh, she wrapped the loaves in cling-wrap and then aluminum foil. As the savvy traveler I am, I realized that the bread had to go in my carry-on so as not to get squished. What I didn’t count on was how it would look on the scanner. So there I am, shoeless at 5 in the morning hoping to grab something to drink before I get on the plane and security comes over and asks to scan my bag again. Sure, I’ve got nothing to hide. It comes through and he asks me what’s in there. "Oops! Forgot my camera equipment was stuffed in there." “No, this is on top.” “Oh! That’s my banana bread! My mom just made it for me. It’s fantastic!” “Can we scan it?” Into a plastic tub it goes. At this point I really doubt I’m getting my bread back and this thought takes the wind out of my sails. If I can’t eat it, someone must so I told the guy he could keep it, but he would have to eat it. A woman comes over holding my bread and goes “Is this her?” Ok, now I might be in trouble. “Sorry ma’am, I told him to give you a hard time, but you’re good to go.” “Great! Can I have my banana bread back?” With a smile she hands it over, and I feel victorious! There will be banana bread for breakfast! It wasn’t until I called my mom to tell her the tale that she laughs and tells me they probably thought it had been C4. It was the right shape and wrapped in foil. I am a genius. Apparently a brunette can still have major blond moments!
So, without further ado, here’s the recipe for my mom’s security stopping banana bread!
Babycakes
YOU WILL NEED:
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
3/4 c. mushed banana (roughly 5 frozen bananas)
1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
PREPARATIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Cream the shortening and sugar together until fluffy.
3. Add eggs one at a time until fully mixed.
4. Stir in mushed bananas.
5. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt.
6. Add to banana mixture. If you want to add nuts, you can either mix them in now or sprinkle them on top.
7. Place into a greased 9x9x2 pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. If the bananas are still slightly frozen (see note below), then it will take the bread longer to cook. After 30 min, check it every 5 until it is not longer goopy and a toothpick comes out mostly clean. You want some residue on the toothpick because this means the bread is not overcooked and thus too dry. Moist banana bread is, in my humble opinion, amazing =)
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