Banana bread is something, not unlike chocolate chip cookies, that everyone seems to have a favorite go to recipe for, an approach that never fails to satisfy. So I don't know why I'm bothering to share this recipe with you...maybe it's because Gabriel and I enjoyed making and eating it so much. I just had to share the love. This stuff definitely ranks up there with peanut butter on the relish-able scale.
Part of the fun stemmed from my decision to accept the mess, embrace the unpredictable process, and cede a lot of kitchen control over to my able three year old assistant. After I found a whisk and a spatula dripping in batter in the (clean) cooking utensil jar, I explained to Gabriel that it would be better to put things on the counter when he's finished using them. He thought about that.
But Mama. Then we'd have to clean off the counter.
Yes, but now I have to clean the jar.
He looked at me with an expression that said: ...and? The counter clearly seemed a more difficult mess to deal with. We all have our own ways in the kitchen, don't we? Our boy is already developing his.
Behold, cracking eggs!
This recipe for banana bread is adapted ever so slightly from the Fresh From Central Market Cookbook that my mother gave me a few years ago. Lancaster Central Market, we love you.
2 cups white whole wheat flour (in our case, we leave a bit of room in the second cup and fill with ground flax seed - probably about 2 or 3 tbsp's worth)
2/3 cup raw sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg*
3 large, ripe well-mashed bananas
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs
6 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
2 tsp vanilla
*We used heaping spoonfuls of all spices and were very happy with the result.
1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. In large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg.
3. In medium bowl mix mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla. Beat with electric mixer until fluffy.
4. Fold wet mixture into dry ingredients, then mix until just combined and thick.
5. Spoon into a greased loaf pan.
6. Bake at 325 for about 70 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for a few minutes, then let cool on a wire rack.
Slice, eat, relish.
2 comments:
Really cute. Nice to see G's pride in a job well done! Needless to say, I fully support the early involvement of children in chores (not that the cooking is so much a chore, but I'm thinking of the dishes). After all, Laura and Mary and that dumb younger sister had to do them from a tender young age and those chores were no joke!
Heather, I agree! The challenge is finding chores that are within their (independent)capabilities. Washing dishes was adorable, but I definitely had to do it with him and it was hardly efficient. Ideas for kid-friendly chores (that don't ultimately make more work for mama) are very welcome, dear. I consider you a chore expert, you know.
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