Dear Reader,
We’re going “Bananas” today!
Indulge in my Whoops! Banana Bread recipe (below).
My love for baking was inspired by my Grandma Hale. When I was young I spent a lot of time in her kitchen. Every once and a while I'd hear her say, "Hmm, I guess I'm in-a-pickle," which meant Grandma just realized she goofed when she was mixing up a recipe and it was too late to go back and fix her mistakes. So she'd dump the contents of the bowl and start over again. (Considering the generation Grandma came from, it was a very bold move.)
Sometimes when I'm baking I find myself in-a-pickle, too. My cell phone rings, then a FedEx delivery shows up at my door, and even though I've made the recipe a hundred times when I walk back to the bowl, iif my mistake is beyond repair, it’s time to say "Whoops!" Because sometimes there's no fixing the mistake. So I dump the bowl and begin again. I've passed on this baking secret to my grandsons and granddaughters, who have all been pretty impressed to find out they can bake worry-free in Grandma's kitchen.
The banana bread recipe, below, came from one of my "Whoops!" that I felt I could fix, and I did. In fact, it turned out to be the best banana bread I’d ever tasted. Enjoy!
Do you have a “Whoops” recipe? If you do, I’d love to hear about it. Email: [email protected]
Be sure to enter the Crab Party Hat giveaway. Today is the last day. To enter, and see some fun party photos. Click here.
Suzanne's Whoops! Banana Bread
1 1/4 cup mashed overripe bananas (the riper, or browner, the bananas are, the better the bread will taste)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup shortening
2 eggs
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (overflowing) chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of either a 9x5x3 loaf pan or 4 smaller loaves. Beat all ingredients together, scraping bowl. Beat just until blended. Pour into pan(s).
Bake until wooden toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. About 50 to 60 minutes baking time for one loaf and about 35 minutes for smaller loaves. Immediately remove from pans after you take out of oven. Cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy, share with friends and family and be sure to tell them about the book clubs. Thanks!
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
* This month's Penguin Classics book is People from Bloomington by Budi Darma. I have a copy of the book to share with a lucky reader, so start reading and enter for your chance to win.
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