We’ve all had or have them sitting on the counter at some point in time. Probably ignored them while someone else threw them away as they turned black, softened beyond belief and became a nesting ground for fruit flies. Yes, I’m talking about the noble banana. Here’s a tip I learned from my interactions with the different Chef’s that run the PC Cooking Schools. This one, we can all relate to. You can freeze bananas. Many a time have I gone into a cooking school freezer only to find a few bananas destined for bread or cake in there – so there is tip number 1 – in case you didn’t know, you can freeze overripe bananas and use them for baking purposes. My bananas were ripening nicely a day ago but today, they were starting to go bad. I made banana bread.
I put raspberry jam in the middle and baked it for about 40 minutes – perfectly done bread. Moist inside, just the right amount of sweetness. Give this a try if your bananas are turning (or not). Frozen bananas are also excellent in smoothies (tip number 2), so again, please don’t throw them out. Here is the recipe. As always – enjoy!
3 – 4 ripe bananas
75 g melted salted butter
150 g brown sugar
1 egg
5 ml vanilla
5 g baking soda
Pinch of salt
5 ml cinnamon powder
5 ml ginger powder
190 g flour
4 tbsp. seedless raspberry jam (or whatever jam/preserve you have in your fridge)
Preheat the oven to 350°F
Melt the butter in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time – it should be good in about 2 attempts,
While the melted butter is cooling slightly, spray or butter a 9×5″ loaf pan – you could use another size but the cooking time will be different – set aside
In a large mixing bowl and using a wooden spoon, mix slightly cool melted butter into the mashed bananas
Mix in the sugar, egg and vanilla, then the spices, stir – add the baking soda and mix again
Now add the flour and mix
Pour half the mixture into the loaf pan, make a line of raspberry jam on top of the mixture, cover with remainder ensuring no jam is breaking through the surface of the bread (although the visual for that is making me want to bake more bread)
Bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until a tester comes out clean (remember ovens vary – convection, regular – so always check at the minimum time to avoid over-baking anything, then about every 2-3 minutes if it is almost done, a bit longer i.e. 5 – 10 minutes, if it is still wet inside. Please don’t leave the oven door open too long, it cools down the temperature and this will impact your finished product and baking time.)
Cool on a rack before slicing (if you can wait that long)
Remove from pan, slice and enjoy
