Bananas

I love bananas. I enjoy them plain or in bread and who doesn't love banana cream pie? Here are a few banana tips:

• Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little "stringy things" off of it
• Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.
• You can also store your bananas in a plastic bag to keep them from ripening too quickly.
• You can store your ripe banana in the refrigerator. While the skin does turn black, the fruit is not ripening as quickly as it would've outside the refrigerator.
• Do not throw out bananas that are over ripe. Freeze them instead, with the peel on. You can then use them in cakes, breads and pies.

And now a few banana recipes:

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 cups mashed ripe bananas (depending on size of banana, it will take about 4 to make 2 cups)
1 cup canola oil
1 cup chocolate chips (most recipes call for semi sweet, I always use milk)
4 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoons salt
nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the oil and sugar together. Add the eggs to the oil and sugar mixture, one at a time. Beat after each addition. Add bananas and vanilla, mixing well. Add the flour mixture, beating just until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Spread batter into two greased loaf pans. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, a toothpick in the middle should come out clean. Allow bread to cool slightly then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Banana Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup soy milk
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large ripe bananas
2 large eggs

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix to blend.

Puree bananas in a food processor. Transfer puree to a mixing bowl. Add milk, eggs and oil. whisk to blend well. Add dry ingredients. Mix until blended. Fry on griddle. Serve with maple syrup.

Banana Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
4 ripe bananas, mashed
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the bananas by hand. Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk to the creamed mixture. If you are adding walnuts, add them last. Pour batter into casserole dish or two round pans. Bake for 30 minutes. Toothpick should be clean when inserted into middle.

You can serve this as is or frost as desired.

Audrey :)
http://mytupperware.com/audreyoka