Angela DealeOverripe bananas - perfect for baking
Ripe, sweet bananas are a staple food for babies everywhere, but they're also one of the few fruits that I love. I prefer them when they're very ripe, i.e., too ripe for most people; for me, black spots on a banana means that it's delicious! I've only ever met one other person who loves 'black bananas' as much as I do, and that was my hubby's sweet old grandpa. When we visited him, I'd have a bunch of ripe bananas in hand.
But I can't always plan to bake for when a bunch of bananas will ripen to perfection, so I've taken to the habit of scoping out when the supermarket puts overripe bananas on the sale cart. Then, I buy them and freeze them (peeled and in a freezer-safe container or bag). Sometimes I cut them into chunks before freezing, which makes them ideal for blending in ice-cold smoothies.
However. The best thing to do with bananas is, hands down, baking.
I love muffins with coffee for breakfast, and also as a snack (mmm, also with coffee). Some of my favourite muffins are banana: banana nut, banana streusel, banana chocolate chip (though the presence of chocolate chips pushes it to the brink of 'dessert' muffin territory). Below is a recipe that I often use for banana muffins.
See the original recipe at allrecipes.com (the one below has reduced sugar and uses oil instead of butter).
Ingredients
Directions
Overripe bananas are also excellent in that school bake sale standby, banana bread.
I use the Joy of Baking recipe for banana bread, but cut the sugar by 25%, and it always turns out well.
A note on using frozen bananas in baking
If you've never done it before, don't be freaked out the extra liquid that the thawed banana imparts. I believe the liquid is the result of ice crystals that formed during freezing. (Is this why cryogenic stasis is a thing of science fiction?)
Also, I always add at least some of the extra liquid to whatever I am baking because I'm afraid that a lot of the sweetness and flavour might be lost otherwise. Usually I just eyeball it and add as much as I think the recipe can handle.
But I can't always plan to bake for when a bunch of bananas will ripen to perfection, so I've taken to the habit of scoping out when the supermarket puts overripe bananas on the sale cart. Then, I buy them and freeze them (peeled and in a freezer-safe container or bag). Sometimes I cut them into chunks before freezing, which makes them ideal for blending in ice-cold smoothies.
However. The best thing to do with bananas is, hands down, baking.
I love muffins with coffee for breakfast, and also as a snack (mmm, also with coffee). Some of my favourite muffins are banana: banana nut, banana streusel, banana chocolate chip (though the presence of chocolate chips pushes it to the brink of 'dessert' muffin territory). Below is a recipe that I often use for banana muffins.
Banana muffins with streusel topping
See the original recipe at allrecipes.com (the one below has reduced sugar and uses oil instead of butter).
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 2 T flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon, not too firmly packed
- 1 T butter (chilled)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the mashed bananas, white sugar, egg, and oil.
- Fold the banana mixture into the dry mixture until just combined.
- Divide batter amongst 10 muffin cups.
- In a small dish, mix the 2 T flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter.
- Sprinkle streusel over the tops of the muffins.
- Bake for about 18-20 minutes.
Overripe bananas are also excellent in that school bake sale standby, banana bread.
Who doesn't like banana bread?
I use the Joy of Baking recipe for banana bread, but cut the sugar by 25%, and it always turns out well.
A note on using frozen bananas in baking
If you've never done it before, don't be freaked out the extra liquid that the thawed banana imparts. I believe the liquid is the result of ice crystals that formed during freezing. (Is this why cryogenic stasis is a thing of science fiction?)
Also, I always add at least some of the extra liquid to whatever I am baking because I'm afraid that a lot of the sweetness and flavour might be lost otherwise. Usually I just eyeball it and add as much as I think the recipe can handle.
Elin
I like your website recipes and will try some -thanks -but I thought it was going to be about eating monkeys and as I also like animals was reluctant to look---maybe others would think the same...