When I saw that we were sharing our favorite summer recipes this week, I wanted to jump in and offer up my grandmothers yummy Banana Bread recipe and a humorous tidbit about the very first time I made this recipe.
Now I should tell you, I am not much of a cook, baker or in the kitchen type person, but when I first tried out this recipe I was seriously considering a career in the culinary arts with a focus on baking. I mean who wouldn't want to be able to create those fabulous confectionery delights. Wedding cakes, truffles and trifles, just to name a few.
So I thought to start with an easy banana bread...
I was fine mashing the bananas. Mixing the dry ingredients - a snap. Cracking eggs, not a problem. Then came the sour milk. Where did one find such a thing? Did they sell it somewhere? Should I leave some milk out of the fridge...did that make it sour and for how long?
Determined to do this on my own and not call my dad (he's awesome with food) I went back to the recipe. And there in small scribbled script was a note - sweet milk plus 1 tsp vinegar. Vinegar? In banana bread? Ooh, ick! LOL Some baker huh. Now I did call my dad, sure the recipe must be faulty and wondering at all of the banana bread I'd had over the years at my Grandma's house...had there been vinegar in those yummy slices?
Yep, indeed. Per my old man, vinegar sours milk. So I trudged on and finished making the bread. It was good, but it got me thinking about all the sweet delights I enjoyed...did they have weird things in them too? Did I want to know what was in them or did I just want to enjoy them?
Needless to say my life's calling did not include professional baking, but that's okay. My dad still cooks a bunch for family get-together and my hubby rocks in the kitchen so I'm covered. :)
Enjoy the recipe!
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Mix and sift dry ingredients together
1/2 cup shortening (Crisco)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
l/2 cup sour milk (or regular milk with 1 tsp vinegar added)
1 cup mashed bananas
Cream sugar and shortening. Add sifted dry ingredients and eggs. Add mashed bananas alternately with the sour milk. Mix well.
Add 1/2 cup walnuts if desired.
Pour into well-greased (one large or 2 small) pans.
Bake at 350 degrees.
1 hour for large pan, 40-45 mins for small pans
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9 comments:
Oooooh... yum! Banana Bread is one of my all-time favorites *nothing better* and it was also one the things I learned to bake... way back when.
Yeah, I remember coming across the sour milk too, and being surprised about the vinegar.
These days I buy organic milk with cream and it naturally and nicely sour.
Yep, banana bread heaven, I love it too, Savanna. Note to self to try out the organic milk. :)
SERENA--I think I have this recipe!!! I love banana nut muffins--the bread is good, too, but we usually prefer it in a muffin. But banana bread can make wonderful cream cheese sandwiches if the bread is firm enough to slice thinly. Makes great little things to go with tea or coffee. thanks! Celia
HI Serena,
I've always said YUCK to sour milk too, but it's amazing how a bit of sour makes the sweet taste sweeter. LOL
My hubby would love this recipe and I'll have to try Celia's cream cheese on it. I love cream cheese!
Celia,
Cream cheese on banana bread...super yum! That sounds fabulous, I've never tried it, but I'm going to have to. Thanks!
Rebecca,
I too was amazed by what sour milk tasted like in baked goods...color me surprised. :) Cream cheese is divine...there is nothing like a warm bagel liberally coated with the sweet spread...and now I can give it a whirl on Banana bread as well!
I've never seen a recipe using sour milk before. I would never have thought of vinegar to make milk sour. That's interesting.
I do love Banana Bread.
Did you know that while most recipes call for salt, it's not required. It's a preservative and if you're eating the dish within a few weeks, it's not needed. In baked goods, it doesn't make a difference in the taste. In most dishes no one will notice if it's not there.
It's one way for those with health issues to eliminate salt intake.
For most of my life I haven't been a big salt user because I didn't like the taste. However, since I learned that table salt is basically a poison because all the good minerals have been removed, I've been using sea salt and salt that is organic and full of the good minerals we all need. It tastes so much better. And, it is helping my health.
I've used sour cream and sour milk since I began cooking as a young teenager. Sour cream chocolate cake is delicious!!!
I love bananas! Sounds delicious, Serena - thank you!
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