The B-A-N-A-N-A Bread

Got overripe bananas at home and about to throw them away coz they are already black and not too appetizing? PERFECT! They are the right ingredient for Banana Bread!

It's breakfast time and I promised my hubby that I'd make him banana bread. He doesn't want chocolate chip nor nuts in it. Just plain ol' banana bread... And as he always says, if you are weak or sick, the only thing that can cure you is banana!

From this post on, I'm gonna tell you about MISE EN PLACE of every recipe... Yea yea I know it sounds too French culinary term but basically it means "everything in place." It's just the tools and ingredients you will need to make the recipe. Because it's a waste if you already have all the ingredients for this banana bread but you don't have a whisk attachement for the mixer, for example. So I will give you some sort of like a check list of the tools you need. Of course for the ingredients, you can check on the ingredient lists.

So in this recipe, the Mise En Place are:

• Food processor (Ask your spouse for birthday gift!)
• Mixer with whisk attachment, preferably Pink kichen aid mixer... hahaha (Ask your spouse for Christmas gift!)
• Greased 9x5x2 in. pan (I prefer to use 8x8 in. pan just because it's not too thick)
• Sifter

The ingredients are:

• 10 tbsp. butter (1 1/4 stick of butter), room temperature
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 large or 3 med bananas)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups cake flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• chocolate chips or nuts, optional

So the ingredients are pantry-friendly stuff that you have at home, right?

And ohhhh, it's smelling so good now! My banana bread is in the oven...

Here's how you make it:

1. Preheat oven 350F

2. Puree the bananas, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla in the food processor.

3. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt into mixing bowl. Mix on low speed for 10 secs. to make sure it's combined well.

4. Add the butter and start with low speed until it's combined with the flour. If you go to med speed like I just did, the flour will be ALL OVER you and your kitchen! Yes, it was! hahaha.. So when it's combined, turn it up to med low speed for 30 secs.

5. Add the banana mixture in 3 batches. Be sure to SCRAPE the side and the bottom of the bowl.

6. If you add choco chips or nuts, fold them in with spatula.

7. Pour the batter in the loaf and bake it for 45 min. (if using 8x8 in. pans) or 1 hr. 10 min. (if using 9x5x2 pan.

Enjoy the warm, smell good, soft, satisfying banana bread and be sure to make it for a weekend breakfast for somebody you care or love. They won't mind to give you a massage after. =)