Gone Bananas

I've had quite the taste for banana bread lately - some is in the oven now! I've yet to try a bread that beats my mother's recipe (which goes back at least another generation). Rich banana flavor, deep brown crust, freezes well. And it's very easy to make uninspiring banana bread unless you know the rules:

Good things come to those who wait. If your bananas aren't at least a week old, don't turn on the oven. Seriously - they need to be *black*. Overripe bananas make all the difference in flavor. Personally, I don't like fresh bananas if they're much past the green-tinged stage, so once they turn completely yellow, I just hang on to them and let them get all rotten for killer banana bread.

Good things again come to those who wait. Wait until the next day to eat the final product. Even with a great loaf, waiting a day for flavors to meld keeps the bread from being one-dimensional. This is a particularly handy trait - I often make miniature loaves and freeze them. They usually taste better than fresh loaves.

Don't underestimate the importance of salt. Salt in sweet baked goods brightens the flavors and again ensures multidimensional flavor instead of one-note tropical sweetness. My mother always used (salted) margarine. I use unsalted butter and beef up the pinch of salt. Some salted butter or margarine on top of a slice is a nice salty-sweet counterpoint.

Don't forget about sour, either. Sour milk is specific to my mom's recipe; it doesn't show up in most others. I haven't conducted an experiment yet in which I evaluate the flavor of a batch made with sour milk and one without - but I have to think it contributes to the flavor. It probably keeps the bread from drying out. And it allows the use of baking soda instead of baking powder, and I can usually tell when a recipe requires too much baking powder.

Anyhow, give this a try. And if you're feeling kicky, toss in some toasted coconut before baking.

Mom's Banana Bread

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs, beaten

4 T. sour milk*

1 t. baking soda

2 c. flour

1 c. mashed banana (2 bananas) - must be exceedingly ripe

1 t. vanilla

1/4 t. salt

Combine butter and sugar, then mix in eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add bananas, soda, flour, and salt. Pour into greased loaf pan(s) and bake at 350 degF until dark golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

* Add a splash of vinegar to 4T. milk. Stir, and set aside for 10 min to thicken.