The banana has many culinary applications, ranging from sweet to savory, depending on the ripeness and thus the starch vs. sugar content. A green banana has a very high starch content and can be fried or mashed like a potato. A ripe banana will have a yellow or yellow-brown color and possibly soft brown spots that are sweeter than the rest. As the ripening process happens, the skins will turn from green to yellow, meanwhile on the inside of the fruit, the starches break down into sugars and the pectin found naturally soften the flesh.
We often see bananas at the supper market in their greener less than ripe state. I resist these bunches in favor of the bags of "Ripe" bananas. Ripe bananas are less expensive due to their shorter shelf life and have already started turning brown and are perfectly soft. These are the ones that are just right for baking purposes.
Banana bread is my usual "go to" application, though I often improvise fruit combinations for variety, my favorite being strawberry-banana. Another favorite banana confection are my Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. They tend to be quite moist and are packed with flavor.The following recipes call for mashed bananas. To do so efficiently, slice them up on a cutting board first, then use a fork to smash them against the board. If you try it in a bowl they just slide all over the place.
As per the Joy of Cooking, 75th anniversary edition:
Banana Bread
A classic recipe, quick to make and a great standby.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick)butter, softened
1 to 2 large eggs
1 to 1 1/4 mashed ripe bananas (2 to 3)
Have all ingredients at room temperature. Pre-heat the oven to 350* F. Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan. (You can re-use the wrapper from your butter)Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter until its creamy. Then add the egg(s) one at a time, beating until incorporated. If you have closer to 1 cup banana, use both eggs, if you have more use just the one egg. Beat in the bananas until incorporated.
Add the dry ingredients in about three parts, beating until smooth after each addition.
Scape batter into the greased pan. Bake the bread about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly then unmold. Cool completely before slicing.
This is my take on the basic banana bread recipe.Strawberry Banana Bread
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick)butter, softened
1 to 2 large eggs
3/4 to 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (1 or 2)
3/4 to 1 cup mashed ripe strawberries (6 to 8 berries)
Use the same steps as above.
When choosing the strawberries, choose the soft or bruised "over ripe" berries. Since they are going to be mashed, their appearance won't matter, and they will be all the sweeter for their ripeness. When mashing use the same technique as above for the bananas; slice off the hulls, or the leaves. Then flip the berries onto the flat you just made and slice the berries into quarters. Mash the quarters with your trusty fork.
Have all ingredients at room temperature. Pre-heat the oven to 350* F. Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan. (You can re-use the wrapper from your butter)
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter until its creamy. Then add the egg(s) one at a time, beating until incorporated. If you have closer to 1 cup banana, use both eggs, if you have more use just the one egg. Beat in the bananas until incorporated.
Add the dry ingredients in about three parts, beating until smooth after each addition.
Scape batter into the greased pan. Bake the bread about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly then unmold. Cool completely before slicing.
NB - I used a 8 x 8 inch pan for the pictures. In doing so I was able to cut the cook time in half, to 30 minutes. Since the 8 x 8 inch pan is wider there was more surface for the oven heat to bake. Again, check for doneness with a toothpick or a fork.
Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip
These cookies come out super soft and are very delicious!1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
6 Tbsp butter, softened
1 Cup Banana, mushed (approximately two whole bananas)
1 large egg
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
(1/2 cup slivered almonds, optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two baking sheets (nonstick cooking spray works, but I like to use the butter wrappers, after I've dumped the softened butter into the mixing bowl.)
In a medium bowl combine the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
In a large bowl beat the sugar and butter with a wooden spoon, until just combined; do not over mix. Add the banana mush and the egg and stir just to blend.
Add the flour mixture in three parts and stir well after each addition until just combined.
Drop the dough by rounded Tsps on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch in between. Bake until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheets about 5 minutes then transfer to a rack to continue cooling completely.
*NB, I have made these before with a combination of rolled oats, and banana flavored instant oatmeal, approximately a 1/2 cup of each. This yielded a cookie with an extreme banana flavor.
One added bonus; since these are made with whole wheat flour and rolled oats they have a bit more fiber than your run of the mill chocolate chip cookie, not to mention the extra potassium and other vitamins contributed by the bananas.
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