I realize  the world has no shortage of banana bread recipes, as a quick google produces 5,580,000 hits!   You’ll find all shapes and styles: moist, classic, healthy, vegan, gluten-free, low-calorie (!?!?), with nuts, chocolate chips, blueberries, cinnamon, with sour cream or pumpkin…. if you dream it, chances are someone already made it and spread the word about it. Once I hit “publish”, you’ll have at least 5,580,001 options!   I am sure you will sleep better tonigt… 😉

This recipe comes from cookbook author extraordinaire (and very dear net-friend), Glenys Morgan, and makes a moist, very pure, dense but not heavy, banana bread. She doesn’t recommend using this recipe to bake muffins, so stick to a regular loaf pan.

GLENY’S BEST BANANA BREAD
(from Glenys Morgan)

1 cup mashed bananas (2 large or 3 medium, very ripe bananas)
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 egg
1 + 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla or dark rum (optional)

Heat the oven to 375F.

Mash or purée the bananas and buttermilk until smooth. Add the baking soda and mix.
Cream the brown sugar and butter together until smooth. Beat in the egg. Add the banana purée and combine. The mixture will seem curdle.

Add the baking powder to the flour, mix well. Gradually add it to the banana mixture. Stir just enough to combine evenly.   Add the vanilla or rum.

Pour into sprayed or greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch pan, filling the pan to 2/3 full of its capacity. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Leave in the pan for 10-15 minutes before turning out. Do not leave in the pan as the loaves sweat and become soggy.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The most important thing in this recipe is to use very ripe bananas, those that are black, soft, begging to be put out of their misery.  Usually I peel them, mash lightly and stick in a zip-lock bag (writing on the bag how many bananas are inside).   You can also freeze the bananas whole, but sometimes they can be tricky to peel.  Some people like nuts and other bells and whistles in their banana bread, I am more of a purist, and find this recipe absolutely perfect.  Our graduate students seemed to agree, as the loaf was gone in minutes!   😉

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CANTINHO BRASILEIRO

BOLO DE BANANA

1 xicara de bananas amassadas (2 bananas grandes, ou 3 médias, bem maduras)
1 / 3 xícara de coalhada
1 colher de chá de bicarbonato de soda
3 / 4 xícara de açúcar mascavo
1 / 2 xícara de manteiga sem sal
1 ovo
1 + 1 / 3 xícaras de farinha de trigo
1 colher de chá de fermento em pó
1 colher de chá de baunilha ou rum (opcional)

Aqueça o forno a 190-200 C.

Misture as bananas amassadas com a coalhada ate’ que fique homogeneo.   Adicione o bicarbonato de sódio e misture bem.
Bata a manteiga e o açúcar mascavo até que formem um creme.  Adicione o ovo e misture bem,  a seguir incorpore as bananas ( a mistura ficara’ com aparencia coalhada).

Em uma tigela separada, misture o fermento em po’ com a farinha de trigo.  Aos poucos, adicione  a farinha na mistura de banana/coalhada.    Misture apenas o suficiente para que os ingredientes se incorporem, adicionando baunilha ou rum em seguida.

Despeje em uma forma untada e enfarinhada, enchendo apenas ate’ 2/3 de seu volume.   Asse por 45-50 minutos, até que um palito   introduzido no centro do bolo saia limpo.  Deixe esfriar   por 10-15 minutos antes de desenformar.  Não deixe que esfrie por completo, ou o bolo ficara’ com a superficie mole.