Banana Bread, Not Too Sweet

It doesn't happen very often around my house, but once in a while the bananas get a bit ripe before they get eaten. Very ripe bananas are perfect for making banana bread, though. In fact, they're the key to making a moist and flavorful banana bread.

I stole this recipe from the folks at America's Test Kitchen. It was included in an America's Test Kitchen edition of Let's Get Cooking for the Nintendo DS. (I'll give you a full review of that, later.) I don't know if it's the best banana bread I've ever had, but it does have wonderful banana flavor and wasn't overly sweet, like some banana bread can be. I did modify the directions slighlty, based on my own experience and kitchen. Although America's Test Kitchen won't tell you this, it actually tastes better the second day.

This banana bread recipe uses walnuts, but they're optional. You can substitute pecans if you'd like, or simply do without the nuts.

Kitchen Equipment Needed
Mixing bowlsSaucepan
Skillett
Cutting board

Kitchen knife
Measuring cups and spoons

Loaf panWhisk
Rubber spatula

Ingredients
3 very ripe bananas
6 tablespoons butter
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup walnuts (optional)
Cooking spray
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mash the bananas into paste with a fork. 3 bananas will make about 1 1/2 cups. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Set aside to cool. Beat the eggs in small bowl; set aside.

Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until toasty and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Remove them from the pan and let them cool a bit. Lightly chop.

Generously spray the loaf pan with the cooking spray.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk the mashed bananas, melted butter, eggs, yoghurt and vanilla together in a separate bowl. Gently fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the nuts, if using. Do not over mix! The batter should be fairly thick and chunky.

Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan with the rubber spatula and smooth the top. Bake on the lower middle oven rack for about 50 - 55 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted in the center and come out with just a few crumbs attached.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove to a wire cooling rack and let it cool completely before serving, about 1 hour.

Makes about 10 slices.

Note: If you don't have 3 very ripe bananas at the same time, freeze them until you do. Frozen bananas, once thawed, work great for this recipe.

Yes, it's my fault the photo is so blurry. Sorry. If you think this one's bad, and it is, you should have seen the other ones. Yeesh.

Easy No-Cook Melba Sauce

Melba sauce is made from raspberries and current jelly and is a perfect topping for ice cream, fruit, or pound cake.

Traditional Melba sauce is cooked raspberries and current jelly. I love that combination, but current jelly is sometimes hard to find and a bit expensive. I wanted something less expensive and quicker to make, so I came up with this no-cook variation.

Note: If you choose not to use the current jelly, increase the confectioners' sugar to 1/2 cup and increase the apple juice to 1/4 cup.

Equipment Needed
Measuring cups and spoons
Blender or food processor

Ingredients
2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup current jelly (optional)
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons apple juice

Directions
Puree everything together in a blender. Pass through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds, or leave them if you prefer.

Photo by Alexander Kalina
 

Bread Maker Pizza Dough Recipe

This is my favorite pizza dough recipe, ever! It's light and tasty, strong enough to hold up to lots of toppings, but with a tender crumb. It's easy to make, too, because it starts life in the bread machine. It does use quite a bit of yeast, so don't be surprised by the ingredients list. It's not a typo.

Ingredients
1 cup water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon dry yeast

Directions
Add the ingredients to your bread maker in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Set the machine to the Dough cycle and let it run. When done, shape the dough into an 18” round pizza pan or pizza stone and let it rest for ten minutes before adding your favorite toppings. You can also use a sheet cake pan, if you don't have a pizza pan. If the dough is too stiff or springy when shaping, let it rest for a few minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the pizza on the middle oven rack for ten minutes, and then check for bubbles. If you see any large bubbles, pop them. Continue cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes until the crust is golden.

Makes enough dough for one 18” pizza, or 6 individual pizzas.