One of the delicious treats that you can make for your kids as well as the rest of the family is banana bread. It is full of vitamins and is not complicated to make. Send some to school with the kids for snack time, make it to serve as a desert or create a great alternative to the typical breakfast. Using bananas that are a tad more ripe than those desired for eating by themselves is another way of saving money. Here is how to start.
Gather the Ingredients
To start, gather all the materials and ingredients you need. Take 1 3/4 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 2/3 cup of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/3 cup of shortening or softened butter, some extra flour, cooking spray or butter to grease the pan and a cup of mashed bananas. Try to aim for 2 bananas mashed completely.
Making the Bread
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease all the surfaces of the inside of the pan. Sprinkle some flour into the pan, then shake the flour around until all the sides are already covered with flour. You can ensure that the bread will come out very smoothly this way. Mash the bananas, then mix them in with the other ingredients. Mix the sugar, baking powder, flour, salt and baking soda inside a medium-sized bowl.
Next put in your butter and mix all the ingredients together until this mixture looks like crumbs. The next step is to add two eggs. Mix this well and put in the pan you have prepared. Bake the bread at 350. This will take about 30 or 40 minutes to bake until it is done. Check the bread by pushing a toothpick into the center of the bread and when it comes out clean the bread is done.
A Few Last Tips
You will find that work can be easier if you use a bread pan measuring about 4 x 8 inches deep. Try to reduce the total number of times that you open the oven to check on the condition of the banana bread, since heat can escape every time you open the oven door, thereby making baking periods longer.
Use bananas that are overripe or past, characterized by a lot of brown spots on the peel. These are generally sweeter compared to ripe bananas. If the bread is browning quickly, but the center is still raw, you can cover the bread using aluminum foil. The bread will continue baking, although the browning process is slowed down. If you have extra bananas and want to make 2 or more loaves in a single session, freeze the extra loaves to prevent these from spoiling. Always use oven mitts when taking the banana bread out of the oven to keep your hand from getting burning.
Making Chocolate Banana Bread
If chocolate banana bread is going to be made, you simply add a teaspoon of vanilla, a cup of chocolate chips (dark) and enough icing sugar to dust. This can be done when you are mixing the baking powder and flour together inside the bowl. Add the icing sugar then as well. The chocolate chips and butter can be melted by using a double boiler. This variety will take about an hour to bake and the loaf can be dusted with the icing sugar when it is done. Allow cooling for about 50 minutes before slicing.
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