So for my first post-thanksgiving recipe, i wanted to show what i made for the pre-dinner “please leave me alone… here, eat this” snack. Why would i have to make such a snack? well because my mom is crazy. This is how i was woken up. Imagine me, peacefully sleeping in my comfortable bed, dreaming about how awesome sleep is. And then enters my mom at 9:30 am.
Mom: YYYYBBOOONNNEEE!! (she can’t pronounce “v’s” they don’t have those in korea) WAKE UP!!! It’s thanksgiving, your uncle and aunt are coming in 30 minutes! I’M HUNGRY!!!
Me: uugghhhhhhrrrhhhahhhhnmnn.
Mom: YAH! Wake UP! how come you’re not cooking yet? you didn’t even defrost anything! what are you gonna cook?! your uncle and aunt are coming now!
Me: Mommy i thought you loved me, why are you so mean to me?
So…yea. I woke up, rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and took some bananas out of the freezer and then went back to my room to remind myself to be thankful.
Ends up the merciless slave driver that is my mom wanted thanksgiving dinner ready at 1pm. that sounds more like thanksgiving lunch if you ask me. So in the meanwhile to get her off my back i made this banana nut bread. I hate baking because i’m bad at it and because more often than not my picky family doesn’t like it because it’s too sweet or something improbable. BUT this banana bread is one of the only things my extended family eats with joy, commenting that “oOoo whole wheat?” “oh this suits the taste of koreans just right”. It goes perfect with those little packets of korean instant coffee or green/ginseng/barley tea.
Since i made this while i was still asleep i didn’t take any pictures, but i just made another loaf this afternoon so i took pictures while i made this one. Also, i decided to try posting the pictures in a bigger size…let’s see how this works out.
The Recipe:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup (half stick) unsalted softened butter
2 lg eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)
1/3 c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c walnuts
I like to freeze bananas and then completely defrost them for baking because freezing them causes the water in the cells to expand, rupturing the cell walls. (HAH i went college and sometimes it’s useful). This rupturing of cell walls causes all the banana-y goodness to flow. Also be sure to freeze ripe (browning) bananas, so this is a good way to save bananas that are too ripe to eat plain for later. While you’re defrosting those, be sure to put out the butter too.
While you’re waiting for that to happen, in a small bowl mix together the flours, baking soda and salt.
Thawed bananas have a really strange slimy texture. and banana juice runs everywhere. it’s hard to tell in the picture, but that’s the bananas sitting in their own juice. it’s like they peed themselves.
So then whip up the butter and then add the sugar untill well incorporated. Then add the eggs one at a time and then the bananas (i slide them in whole and let the mixer do the work) and the sour cream and vanilla.
Then slowly add the flour mixture until it’s almost fully mixed. You don’t want to over-mix otherwise the gluten in the batter will have too much of a good time and the crumb of your bread will not be tender. Take out the mixer and fold in the walnuts. Pour all of this goodness (it smells like banana happiness) into a greased up loaf pan and put into a 350 degree oven.
DON’T overbake! Since there’s whole wheat flour the bread is gonna be kinda dark. I usually bake for around 45-55 minutes or until it’s not jiggly when you touch it.
Let it cool on a rack and slice up to give to relatives.
So i’m gonna be honest. i don’t really like the bread. I think it’s because it’s too healthy and i don’t like whole wheat flour very much bc i’m a pansy. It’s okay but i wouldn’t make it for myself. Also, this conflicts with my boycott of bananas. Usually bananas come from socially unstable and oppressed nations which is where we get the term “banana republic” . So yes…try to eat locally grown fruit…it’s easy, we’re in california.
Well anyways, i hope you can use this recipe to appease your disgruntled and hungry family as well.
hhahaha, wat a hilarious post, and on your birthday too (the pictures!)
<3 u always