The Best Banana Bread

• SA Engages

May 8, 2020

If you are anything like me, when summer hits and there is nothing to do, you start to get creative. I like to try things I have never tried because I have all the time in the world after classes, and who cares if I mess up? Oh well, try it again! So, recently I have been getting into cooking and baking. The reason I think I like it is because it is so rewarding – there is something to look forward to after all the hard work and messy kitchen! I tend to be a perfectionist in life and that trait really takes its spotlight when I cook. If the measurement is not exactly what it is supposed to be then I have to try it again. It is a blessing and a curse, although it is more of a curse because in the long run a couple more grains of sugar are not going to hurt (it might even help!).

Here’s a fun story time of when my sister, Kallie, and I made the best banana bread ever! So, Kallie came back from her friend’s house and could not stop talking about how good this banana bread was that she made and that we needed to make it. We realized that we had almost none of the ingredients to make it, so we headed to the store and got them. Now here’s the kicker – the store only had UNRIPE bananas and we figured that would be alright (spoiler alert: it wasn’t!). So, we get home and start mixing the ingredients and I was put up to the big task of mixing the dry ingredients. Who could mess that up? Me, that’s who. I read teaspoon as tablespoon – and it all went downhill from there because we continued to bake it as normal. The oven beeps, we take out the bread, cut it up, take a bite, and nearly throw up! Learning from our mistakes, we head back to the store, get a few RIPE bananas and repeat our process again (the right way). Fast forward to the bread coming out of the oven and oh my – the banana bread I’ve ever tasted! If you want to experience the same greatness I did, I’m here to share the recipe:

1 ¾ cup of plain flour                                                             2 eggs

¾ cup of sugar                                                                         ½ cup of oil

2 teaspoons of baking powder                                               1 cup of ripe bananas, mashed

½ teaspoon of baking soda                                                    ½ cup of ground nuts

½ teaspoon of salt                                                                   splash of vanilla extract

1. Beat eggs and oil until frothy.
2. Add mashed bananas and nuts.
3. Fold in sifted dry ingredients.
4. Bake in loaf pan at 325° for 50 min. – 1 hour. (depending on oven)

Try using your extra free time to cook new recipes and share with others! Food can be a good way to de-stress and bond with those around you. So, I encourage you to take a break from the ramen noodles and cheap heat-up meals and try something new. It may take a couple times to get it right, but believe me, it will be worth it in the end!

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