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.
Collect 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
Turn the oven to 350 degrees and get your pan ready by spraying it with cooking spray and dusting it will flour. This allows the bread to be taken out of the pan with ease. Mix the mashed bananas with the baking soda, salt, flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl.
Add the softened butter to the flour mixture, plus the shortening, then mix everything until the mixture appears like crumbs. Add two of the eggs then continue stirring. Pour the batter into the floured and greased pan. Put the pan inside the oven, then bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes. Try to insert a toothpick into the middle of the banana bread. It should come out clean to confirm that the bread is baked well.
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 you want to make chocolate banana bread, this can be done by adding 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, icing sugar and a cup of dark chocolate chips. While you are mixing the flour and baking powder together, add your icing sugar. Use a double boiler to melt the chocolate chips as well as the butter. Use the icing sugar to dust over the loaf when it is done. Bake the bread for about an hour. Allow this to cool down for about 40 or 50 minutes.