There Is No Bad Banana Bread

Really, there isn't. I have tried at least 2 dozen recipes for banana bread and they are ALL good. The only bad banana bread is bread that is undercooked. Even overbaked bread can be saved by application of butter. Ok..it is true that some of these yuppy chefs are adding weird stuff to traditional fare, but let's ignore their recipes. They change them not to make them better, but to be different.

Here is a yummy, but slightly fussier-to-make banana bread. It is unusual in that there is a topping. I hope you try this one. It may not be your standard everyday banana bread, but it is worth making for that special occasion. If you have trouble accumulating bananas for banana bread, remember that you can freeze them. Peel them, slice into one inch pieces, put into a sealed plastic container and stick in freezer until you have enough. You can freeze the banana whole, but it takes longer to unthaw. Oh, were you looking for low-fat, sugar reduced fare? Sorry, you won't find it here. Just limit your portions (if you can) and have the real thing.

Indescribably Delicious Banana Bread

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
4 very ripe bananas, mashed*
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 Tbs buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt

Topping:
6 Tbs butter
10 Tbs dark brown sugar
5 Tbs milk
1 cup or more, chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Mash bananas, beat the eggs and add to the bananas with the vanilla and buttermilk. Mix well. Add to creamed butter and sugar mixture. Sift together flour, soda and salt. Add to banana mixture, beat well. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9"x 5"x 3" loaf pans. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until bread pulls away from sides of pan.

Cool Topping: Melt butter in saucepan. Add sugar and milk. Cook until very syrupy. Remove from heat and add chopped pecans. Pour over bread, spreading to all the corners and place under broiler until bubbly and brown. WATCH CLOSELY so topping does not burn.

*Note: Use the softest mushy bananas that you can. I leave them on the counter until they are almost black. It originally came from a Jr. League in Austin cookbook, but I don't have the exact details.

Pomegranate Snack

I was given this recipe at the Armenian Booth (Hadig) while at Festival of Nations in Minneapolis around 1996. Pomegranates are only available a short time during the holiday season, but there are suitable substitutions. According to various sources, this snack is served widely throughout the Middle East as a party snack-my particular instructions came from a 1920's Armenian Cookbook. Wheat berries are sold at some grocery stores or in bulk at health food stores (I pay about 70 cents a pound). It is the wheat kernel with just the outer hull knocked off. You can easily substitute other dried fruit for the pomegranate (I use golden raisins along with the black or chopped dried apricots). The only reason I even tried this recipe was because my SIL is of Armenian descent--very yummy recipe!

Deseeding A Pomegranate

Wheat Berries and Pomegranate Snack

2 cups (8 oz) wheat berries
1/2 cup sugar
1 large pomegranate (or 2 small ones), deseeded (or 1 cup other dried fruit such as apricots)
2 tsp. cinnamon (or 1.5 tsp. cinnamon and .5 tsp nutmeg)
1/3 cup tart fruit juice (I use cranberry)
1 cup raisins
1 cup nuts (walnuts, pecans, cashews, almonds, etc.)

Cook Wheat Berries: Place wheat berries into large saucepan and cover with water about 2-3 inches above top of berries. Bring to boil (draining isn't necessary), then turn down heat, cover and simmer for at least 1 hour, 10 minutes. Berries should be chewy. Drain and place in bowl.

Deseed a pomegranate: I slice the outer skin just barely to the seed so that I can break it apart by hand. Then peel out the seeds. Be sure to remove any rind as it is quite bitter. Pomegranate juice can stain your hands, so if it's important to you, wear plastic gloves.

Add seeds to bowl. Add remaining ingredients to bowl. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours to blend flavors. Stir occasionally. Serve in bowls with spoon. This does not keep very well, so use within 2-3 days.

Note: I have used as little as 1/3 cup sugar and been satisfied with the results. The original recipe said to soak the berries overnight. I have not found this to be necessary.

A variation that I haven't tried yet from The World of Jewish Cooking by Gil Marks: Syrian Anise-flavored wheat Berries: Add 1/4 cup anise seeds before cooking the wheat berries or add 1/2 cup anise liqueur and, if desired, 1 teaspoon rose water with the fruit and nuts.For additional wheat berry recipes, here's a link. There's also a store search to find a place locally to purchase. Wheat Berry Recipes