A New Banana Bread

One thing we do have in abundance in Honduras is bananas, and we have lots and lots of bananas.  After all, Honduras is the original Banana Republic.  The best information I can find says Honduras produces 1M metric tonnes, or a little more than 1.12 M American short tons. That's 2,204,622,622 lbs.  2.2Trillion pounds. That does not include what is produced in most yards in the country, including mine.

Now we have had our Social Studies class for the day. Shall we continue?

Today I woke up with a need to do something nice for the Macho Man, and there is nothing he likes better than banana bread.   I have to admit, I also had some bananas I needed to use, so it was an easy decision. I have become a little bored with my usual recipe for banana bread, so I decided to make it up as I went. 

It was, as the Macho Man says, a culinary adventure, but it turned out really well. The end results were rich, but not too sweet, with a nice color, moist, and tender. Best of all, because I'm lazy, there was very little clean-up, and we are on water rationing. So, here it is:

4 very ripe bananas*

2 eggs

1/3 C molasses

1/2 C peanut butter - I use chunky

1 C unbleached flour

1 C whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

3 tsps baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan, line with wax paper, and grease and flour waxed paper.

Put bananas, eggs, molasses, and peanut butter to food processor and process until smooth.  Add flours, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla and process until well-mixed and smooth.  

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake on middle rack of oven until a tooth pick stuck in the middle come out clean, about 1 hour.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely.  

Voila, your own banana bread, no preservatives, no unwanted additives, extra protein from the peanut butter and eggs.  Omega 3's from the peanut butter.  No added salt.  No trans-fat.

Oh yes, there is one secret ingredient.  It's called love, and no one can add that to your recipe but you.  Your family will recognize it at once.

*  Most Americans I know do not know what a ripe banana really looks or tastes like.  A truly ripe banana, the one with the best flavor, is one that is heavily freckled, almost completely brown, and soft.


We are blessed.