Making It (on) Your Own

I had that all too familiar over ripe banana on my kitchen table for way too long. I started looking up banana bread recipes when I remembered a fabulous moist 'tea loaf' I had found during the holidays when I began searching recipes for a banana tea loaf which I thought would be moister than your standard banana bread.  The recipe I decided to work with was English. The measurements were in metrics and from the git go I knew I didn't have enough butter. The recipe called for 3 oz of butter which translates in my mind to 3 Tablespoons - of butter.  I had about two Tablespoons of butter - I added a tablespoon of oil. You’re suppose to ‘cream the castor,(fine sugar) and butter ‘till fluffy. I only have an old hand mixer and used organic Turbinado sugar.

Nothing looked fluffy about my sugar and butter when I added the two eggs which I forgot were called for - beaten.

Now that I think about it, beating the eggs is really important because it lightens and aerates the eggs.  NEXT... begin adding the liquid to the dry - 8 oz flour, a pinch of salt & a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, a bit at a time while also bringing the mashed up banana into the mix. The recipe calls for 1 pound of mashed banana - I used 2 mashed bananas.  I had an aluminum loaf pan I didn’t even prep - meaning buttering or flouring the sides, I simply poured the batter into unprepared, virgin aluminum loaf pan.  I got that into a preheated 350 degree oven. - Wait - maybe the oven wasn’t preheated enough. Maybe that could effect the loaf’s density and moistness?  Oh right, I remembered I had walnuts in the -fridge and combed them them through the batter in the loaf pan.

As far as I’m concerned this loaf was almost a flop. I was disappointed with the texture, moistness,(or lack there of) and density.  Hearty & earthy were remarks and feedback I got BUT...

It’s a beautiful sunny winter Saturday.  I went to the Tompkins’ Square library to put a number of books on hold. I got hungry on the short walk over there and all I was envisioning was sitting down to a hot cappuccino & a good croissant. Luckily the perfect place isn’t between my place and the library - SMILE

I came home and whipped that banana walnut loaf out of the freezer.I cut two nice slab like slices w/a serrated knife and into the toaster they went.  Toasting is a prescription I can see getting addicted to.

I liberally spread good organic peanut butter onto the two toasted banana walnut loaf slices and topped each with a tablespoon of East Hampton beach plum jam - a delicacy item I cherish and savor and a steaming cup of Yogi Black Chai tea.