The Secrets of Banana Bread

I'm going to take a page from my girlfriend Jaime's blog and share some cooking secrets with you.  Fabulous cooking secrets, passed down for generations.  Ok, from my mom.

Growing up, we always had black bananas in our freezer.  Anytime the bananas started to get old, my mom would throw them into the freezer, so that at any point in time you could open the freezer and at least ten black bananas would fall out.  And possibly land on your toe.  Bananas might seem harmless, but throw them in the freezer and let them turn black, and they get heavy!  Depending on how they land, it can feel like a knife to your little toe.  Not fun, trust me!

I remember constantly yelling at my mom about the bananas.  I yelled about them landing on my toe, I yelled about how many of them there were, and I yelled about how disgusting they were.  I yelled about the bananas all the time.  At least, every time I opened the freezer any way.  And my poor mom endured the yelling.  Because she had a secret - a beautiful secret - about black bananas.

Over ripe bananas make the best banana bread.  And while we'd all love to be able to buy yellow and black spotted, super ripe bananas at the store, they simply don't stock it.  When you want to make banana bread, it's usually on a whim, or for a brunch, so you don't have time to sit around and wait for your fresh bananas to ripen.  Therefore, you buy bananas like you normally would.  But when they start to get overripe, and no one wants to eat them, you simply throw them in the freezer.  The cold speeds up the ripening process, hence the black peel, and yet the temperature places the banana on hold - in the perfect state for banana bread!

After I had been married for about a year, my parents were visiting us in San Antonio where we spent the first three years of our marital life.  My mom opened the freezer, and sure enough, 7 black bananas fell out and landed on her toe.  She laughed and laughed.  After yelling at me, of course!

And now for my next baking secret from my mom . . . moist baked goods.  Who has ever eaten a cake or some type of bread that was extremely dry?  So dry, in fact, that you needed to wash it down with a glass of milk?  My baked goods don't have that problem.  I'm not trying to brag, but if anything, mine always seem a bit overmoist. 

And here's why . . . I separate the eggs.  Yes, it takes a bit more time, yes, it means a few more dishes, but the proof is in the moistness!  In the first part of any baking recipe, usually where you cream butter and sugar together and then add eggs, simply separate the eggs, and only add the egg yolk.  Leave the egg whites aside until right before you pour the batter into the pan.  Then, beat the egg whites until they are fluffy, and fold into the batter with a spatula.  Voila'!  Instant moisture!  Works every time!

Want to try my mom's banana bread recipe?

Best Banana Bread

1/2 c butter

1 c sugar

2 eggs, separated

4 sm or 3 lg bananas, mashed

1 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 c nuts (optional)

Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg yolks and bananas.  Sift flour and soda together.  Fold in flour.  Add egg whites which have been beaten until fluffy.  Pour into a greased loaf pan.  Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour!