This last weekend I decided to bake a loaf of banana bread as my very first recipe! Sophie (my daughter) used to be good about eating bananas, but they are no longer a favorite and we have several overripe and ready to be turned into something delicious. Historically, I have had trouble with banana bread. The ends are usually burned and the middle is raw. I’m not very patient and tend to bake everything at too high of a temperature because I just want to be able eat whatever it is I’m making right away!
Here is Daisy’s recipe:
- 4 very ripe bananas
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp soda
- 1 cup sugar
Combine all and bake 40 min in loaf pan.
My first thought, should I add salt? My second thought, at what temperature should I bake this bread? I decided not to add salt and I will know for next time if it was needed rather than ruin this recipe by adding it. For the second problem: 350° F.
A few other tips: I keep my shortening in the refrigerator just in case I need to make some pie dough; I recommend using soft and not chilled shortening. I also used a stand mixer and greased my loaf pan.
After mixing until well combined my batter looked (and tasted) pretty delicious!
After 40 minutes at 350°F, the bread still was not done in the middle (checked with a toothpick), but the ends were getting a little brown. I put a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the loaf pan and continued to bake for another 16 minutes.
The finished product turned out great! The edges were a bit brown; I may consider decreasing the baking temperature to 325°F (and increasing the baking time) on my next attempt to see if that makes a difference. I’m undecided on the salt.
Daisy’s Cook Book Recipe #1 was a success. Our house smelled amazing and we were able to eat this delicious banana bread all weekend!
Here is the recipe with my clarifications.
Daisy’s Banana Bread
- 4 very ripe bananas
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup shortening (soft)
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup sugar
Combine all ingredients and bake at 350°F in greased loaf pan for 40 minutes. Cover with a sheet of foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.
Daisy's Cook Book 