speckled for the freckled
Confession time again! You see these babies? The brown, spotty, past their prime and about 36 hours from luring in fruit flies bananas? I love them. They’re my absolute favorite. I know, I know how gross that is. I know, I know that most people would pick those up only to walk them over to the trash. I know, I know you’re horrified that I could love something so rotten, and for all of these reasons, I am forced to live my life as a closeted freckled banana eater.
The list of people who know my secret are as follows: Alex, but he married me anyway; my mother-in-law, who was about to throw some old bananas out one day and I gave myself up, yelping “wait!” at the last moment; the lady at the bodega where I get my yogurt and fruit each morning, who watches me sift daily through the bright, yellow ones on top for the sordid, unlovable ones at the bottom of the pile; Molly, who I confessed my banana sin to in a moment of cream cheese-frosted camaraderie; and now you. Go easy on me, please.
My love of the spotty banana, unfortunately, conflicts with one of my other loves — banana bread. You see, exactly when the bananas hit their bread-making prime time, I don’t want to share them with anyone. I’m serious. I haven’t made it in years. But, I’m feeling generous this week, and also in need of a treat, and yes, I know so-called calorie-watching on top of my other aches and pains sounds an insult to, well, you know, but if I can’t exercise for so many weeks, something is going to have to give. Yet, seven days into this I’m itching for a little something-something, something small and tame and when I saw this recipe on Elise’s stunning site, I thought, for once, “well, maybe I could share.”
Oddly, and perhaps complimentary, enough, I found myself using Simply Recipes for this bread the way I use Epicurious: rummaging through each and every comment until I’m certain the adjustments I’m itching to make will work. And then? I jacked it up. I replaced white sugar with the light brown variety, and cut back on it, too; I added a splash of bourbon, salted butter and then doses of cinnamon, nutmeg and even cloves. And also, though it goes without saying by now, mixed it with one hand. I hope Elise’s friend’s friend doesn’t mind that I bastardized her recipe, I just couldn’t resist gilding the lily, as usual. And that one tablespoon of bourbon? This is no time to fixate on accurate measurements.
It was just what the doctor ordered. [Actually, no, the doctor this morning ordered six full weeks in the sling, but let’s just talk about that another time, okay?] Let me rephrase: this is how I interpreted what the doctor ordered, and can you blame me? This is the height of banana bread perfection and all those little extras manage to add something fantastic without overwhelming the base flavor. It’s my new go-to recipe and Elise, you did my adored bananas proud.
Elise’s Friend Heidi’s Friend Mrs. Hockmeyer’s Banana Bread, As Jacked Up by Deb
Adapted from Simply Recipes
3 to 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted salted butter
3/4-1 cup light brown sugar, depending on the level of sweetness you prefer
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
1 1/2 cup of flour
No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla and bourbon, then the spices. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.
Deb note: Due to my unhealthy obsession with tiny things, I split this into two mini-loaf pans. It took 45 minutes to bake two perfect halves, but of course, may run longer or shorter in your oven.
You are wrong, those bananas are NOT passed their prime. As far as I am concerned they are right in their prime for eating. Once they get passed where you have them, I will consider them for banana bread or pancakes, but right there where they are right now…they’re perfect.
So I guess I too share in your love of the unloved bananas.
Well, of course you can’t hold a tablespoon and pour bourbon at the same time with one hand. And you are so careful to tell us how you divided the batter into two mini pans and how long it took to bake. I’m sure you were equally careful to measure out exactly one tablespoon. Right. I am right about that aren’t I? I mean two would change everything. Oh, I’m sure you wouldn’t use two tablespoons and not tell us. I mean you’ve just made this dark confession. You would never do that. Right. Right!
Fun post.
Oh, a day too late! My nanners were well beyond this but I was still looking for a good recipe for them. Hubby tossed them when I wasn’t looking. I think I need to print this out and head to the store… ;)
I too love the “aged” bananas. The speckles just make them all the more fun to eat!
Bread looks delicious
=)
Six full weeks?? I’m so sorry, Deb. Bring on the bourbon. That banana bread looks like it could cure any woe.
Your stirring arm is going to have some muscle on it by the time you’re healed!
I think, according to Chiquita, that you like perfect bananas:
“I’m Chiquita banana and I’ve come to say - Bananas have to ripen in a certain way- When they are fleck’d with brown and have a golden hue - Bananas taste the best and are best for you - You can put them in a salad - You can put them in a pie-aye - Any way you want to eat them - It’s impossible to beat them - But, bananas like the climate of the very, very tropical equator - So you should never put bananas in the refrigerator.”
Nice banana bread!
Sigh…
Im a fan of the bright yellow-slightly green on top banana. MMMM (i want 1 now damnit) Does it count that i always buy a lot of them and make sure there are a few stragglers left for just such an occasion?
anyways.. i made the recipe thats been in my family for ages.. this 1 tho i gotta say… its gonna give it a run for its $. Bourbon seems like such a natural thing to add.. like, why didnt i think of it sooner? Its like Bananas Foster.. but in bread form.. Oh MAN… a warm slice of your bread, deb, with some vanilla ice cream? OYI
OK on a side note here… My step family is jewish and me being the goy that i am tried to make matzo ball soup for the 1st time..
Do they like a big open pan to cook in so they can fluff up? I cooked mine in like a 3qt pot and they didnt poof up. They were more like lil chewy small size golf balls.. instead of the nice light fluffy 1s my aunt makes. Shes on vacation till mid December so i figured id ask you. OO a new idea for your site.. “ask deb”
Anywhoo, suggestions or whatever would be much appreciated.
Oh MY. You know how I feel about banana baked goods, and this one is definitely going on my to-do list! I love your addition of salted butter, and the bourbon! Amen to that. Brandon, Mr. Woodford Reserve, will heartily approve. Thanks for sharing your beloved freckled bananas, Deb.
Maggie, thank you for putting up those lyrics, I would have had to google them otherwise.
Deb - Bananas and bread, great combination, but where are the nuts? Or is that a sin? Oh and finally I know that I needn’t throw out my bananas once they’ve passed the edible phase of bright yellow into the speckled baking goodness.
“bastardized” and “gilding the lily” in one sentence?! this is EXACTLY why I love your writing. you are too funny!
I think everyone has a different banana scale! I am terrified of anything other than almost-green bananas, though for my banana bread I’ll let them get brown, soft, and almost oozing. Eew. Or yum. I’m not sure. Whatever it is, it’s good for banana bread.
One of my favorite things to do to banana bread is replace the flower with oat bran that I buy in the bulk food section of my market. It really, really lightens up the bread. I have to admit I’m not good at measuring things… I usually put in around half flour/half bran, taking out a bit of butter or whatever other liquid is in there to compensate. I’ve also added yogurt to my banana bread - mmmmm.
Hi Cupcakes -
(I hope it is okay to post a reply here! I didn’t see another way to respond to this comment)
I also like soft fluffy matzoh balls. After you chill the dough, do not, I repeat, do not, apply any pressure to it (I.e., no rolling, shaping, or other perfecting-type motions). Just break off a chunk, lightly push in any large straggling bits and drop them in the pot. The less you fiddle with them, the lighter they will be. I think it all depends on preference - my brother loves them light and fluffy, whereas my dad roles them between his palms to get hard little marbles!
I too like the slightly green, no brown bananas! However, the kind you like are NOT unloved, just loved in a different form…baked in something! I’ve been making several different recipes of banana bread recently. I think one of the best I’ve found has been one that is actually for a banana cake but I morphed into bread. The post will be coming soon. Not to worry…the recipe is from a guiltless desserts class I attended, so It’s not too bad for ya!
Not a big fan of slightly green - I prefer the speckled bananas, as well.
As per all of your food shots, that banana bread looks absolutely delicious!
I buy bananas and then wait until they go that brown before I eat them. My boyfriend (transplanted to NY from Georgia) has this amazing southern tiramusu recipe with vanilla wafers, whipped cream, and bananas cooked in bourbon and brown sugar– I think your recipe is the bread version of that. Hmm, I’m working from home today; maybe I could whip this up at lunch…for lunch…
Six weeks? Yikes, I don’t know what I’d do. I’m sorry Deb! As for the bananas, my husband likes them like that too, or even blacker, or green for that matter. He just loves them. I myself like them very underripe, a hint of green. I won’t eat them after about 2 days.
The bread looks wonderful. :) I love love the smell of banana bread baking. Well who doesn’t.
Hi Deb - I commented on one of your posts earlier saying that I am a beginning cook and asked you to recommend some cookbooks for beginners. Well, this will be my husband & I’s first Thanksgiving in our home and we have decided to make dinner on our own. I found some excellent recipes on epicurious.com but most of them have serving sizes quadruple of what we need. I know how to cut the ingredients down, but then how should I adjust the cooking time? Thanks so much for your help! I am sure that I will become a regular commenter (questioner) in the next week! By the way, I hope you feel better soon!
Oh, I almost forgot to ask, have you tried any recipes for biscuits, rolls, croissants, etc. that you would recommend for Thanksgiving? Maybe something with cheese and/or garlic?
I totally agree with Cupcakes! Sensing the desperate need for an “ask Deb” section!!!!
I am completely with you on the banana thing. Really ripe and spotty is perfect, I can’t understand people who eat them none spotty.
Mmm, well I’ll have to give this recipe a go, too!
You need to check out this recipe for banana-chocolate chip muffins from epicurious.com http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/101020 I make them just as the recipe states and they are a real crowd pleaser. Next time I might add a teaspoon of strawberry jam to each muffin before cooking…kind of a banana split muffin.
YUm! i am hungry. Tim is spinning at Crobar tonight–that’s your neighborhood……
I am a speckled banana lover too, and always daring to tread on the thin line between banana perfection in speckled form, and banana wine because they have gone too far over the edge. If they don’t simply fall apart and I have to actually use my teeth to cut through it, it’s too ripe!
And yes, Banana Bread is a fav, and Elise’s recipe does look divine, but I really need to manage self control to make it in my house as well.
If you make these into muffins in a non-stick pan, then you won’t have all of that pesky one-handed slicing and wrapping of the loaf to do. I’m just saying. :o)
I need my bananas tinged with green. Freckles hit the trash every time (sorry!).
Theresa-
If you want an easy garlic cheese biscuit recipe, try the one that I made earlier this week out of the Betty Crocker catalog:
Garlic-Cheese Biscuits
2 c. Bisquick
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Preheat oven to 450. Whisk bisquick, milk & cheese together in a bowl until a soft dough forms; beat vigorously 30 seconds. Drop dough by 10-12 spoonfuls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. In a small bowl, combine butter & garlic powder until well mixed; brush on warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm.
I made these earlier this week with the vodka cream pasta recipe that Deb posted a few months ago and both were fantastic. These biscuits couldn’t be any easier and if you wait to cover the leftover bisuits until they have completely cooled off, they save really well (the melted butter dries and doesn’t leave them soggy). Enjoy!
Oops, that would be a Betty Crocker cookbook, not catalog. Also, I sprinkled some minced garlic into the dough before combining which further upped the garlic flavor.
Yes! I love ‘em. I have the same problem with bananna vs bannana bread…by the time they are ready I am eating them.
What’s funny is my g/f eats them even further past the freckled stage! No hope for bread.
How sweet of you to assume that I was vacationing, and not that I, too, was engaged in the equivalent of throwing myself down a flight of stairs.
Dear girl, I think a vacation is a bottle of wine and a game of checkers.
Que sera, please continue picturing me someplace quiet, in a hammock, with a mountain view. *sigh* I can almost feel it. Oh, and I’ll take along a slice of that yummy homeade bread, with a wee drop o’ the brandy on the side :)
Thanks Jessica! I’m a Southern girl at heart and must have my biscuits at Thanksgiving! I will definitely be using that recipe!
Freckled and speckled is the ONLY way to eat a banana. While they’re green, there’s no flavour (at least, not a yummy ripe banana flavour). The secret is to keep DH from eating them while green so I can have some speckly ones left for me or for banana bread. I try to buy them on the verge of freckles for this reason, to his everlasting disgust. This recipe looks scrumptious… but I would have to make it muffins for easy freezing (and thus less tempation to gobble it all over the weekend).
Take it easy on your shoulder,
Sweet Potato
Christine - Well, I am glad to hear it’s not just me, and this seems the perfect time to admit that well, I could go another day on these, possibly two. I bet nobody sympathizes with me now, eh?!
Tanna - For once in my life, I actually measured the booze. I was so worried about leading you guys astray. That said, next time I’ll add another tablespoon. But, er, we already expect that from lushes like me.
Karen - I remember one we had this swarm of fruit flies in our old apartment and Alex is like “NOW can we throw them away?” I had to cave. It was pretty gross.
Birdita - Amen!
Luisa - Oh, the bourbon will be brought on. In theory. In practice even half a glass of wine is putting me to sleep while I am still hitting the Advil - bad Deb! As for the six weeks thing, yes, quite sucky. But, yesterday was coincidentally the first day I could actually say I felt better (must have been all that complaining on Wednesday that did it), so that kind of made me forgive the bad news. Six weeks of my current state, this I can handle.
Jenifer from Memphis - It had better. It’s not very coordinated yet, though. I dribbled yogurt down my shirt this morning like a toddler. So sad!
Maggie - Best comment ever. That was awesome.
Cupcakes - Ecch, no green! Sadly, I am not a matzo ball expert because my mother or Alex’s mom always makes it for us! But, I will try it this winter, promise. And report back.
An Ask Deb feature? Hm. Alex likes the idea. I find myself answering questions over e-mail a lot. Maybe I should post those too. I’ll tell you what: email me questions, I’ll see what I can answer. (I’m no expert, mind you.) We’ll consider this an informal experiment for now.
Molly - Yum, Woodford Reserve, I will have to try that again. We’re more the Basil Hayden types ourselves, but I used Knob Creek in the bread. We’ve had it for two years and barely made a dent. I know this is bourbon blasphemy, but I find it a wee harsh. Perfect for baking, though!
Kirs - I don’t mind nuts in baked goods at all, but they’re such a divider, I’ve just started skipping them. I mean, nut-likers will eat it either way, right? In addition, I’m saving the second loaf for when my parents come for dinner on Sunday, and mom can’t eat nuts. See what a good kid I am?
M - Even funnier that I spelled lily wrong and had to go back and edit it AND I’m using the new Firefox with the built-in field spell-checker. But thank you.
Rachael - My rule is that if I have to stick my nail in to start peeling the banana, it’s not ripe yet. Right now, half of you are going “gee-yewww!” I actually think a little whole wheat flour in this might be nice - I like some grit in my breakfasty foods. I might play around next time. And also, of course it’s okay to post a reply in the comments!
Claire - Sounds great. Banana bread is pretty easy to make low-fat and sugar because most of the moisture and sweetness come from the bananas themselves. Can’t wait to see yours.
Browneyedgirlie - Thank you. And you have excellent taste in bananas.
Carly - Oh my GOD that tiramisu sounds amazing. Oh share, please share!
Tammi - Six weeks brings me to Friday December 22nd. Alex says we can go ice-skating December 23rd. Not bad, right? Right?
Theresa - I hope I helped you with today’s (Friday’s) post. As for cutting recipes down, I do it all the time. Surprisingly, the baking time is rarely very different, but you should begin watching it at the halfway point, just the same. Good luck!
Married Girl - E-mail me your Qs. I’ll try my best! You guys have way too much faith in me.
Eryn - You have excellent taste. But I probably still won’t share with you, hee.
Liz - Try it! And then, let me know how it compares to that one you like more than CI. I’m curious.
Leslie - Alex would LOVE those muffins. The boy thinks you can add chocolate chips to anything. Thanks for the link.
Jocelyn - Yeah, I saw. But, we’re taking Alex’s sister out to celebrate that she passed her bar exam. And people bumping into my arm as they would at a crowded club? Makes me want to slug them with my good arm. What a sight THAT would be, right? What are doing for your birthday? I know JUST what to give you. ;)
Kate - I am thinking that to lighten this recipe up, adding another banana, dropping the sugar to ½-cup, and then replacing that 1/3 cup of butter with yogurt (with fat, I think is best), would really really work. Just a thought! I’d hate to think of anyone being deprived of banana-y goodness.
Celeste - I like the way you think, despite your affection for tinged green bananas. You must learn to love the freckle! :)
Jessica - Sounds yum. But now I have to figure out how to make Bisquik at home! (I suspect salt, flour, baking soda…)
Jezzie - I will totally eat them past the freckle state, too. I hope you get that vacation real soon!
Sweet Potato - Freezing is key! I’ve got the other loaf in there right now, awaiting a better reason to eat it than just “snacking.” Oh, the joy of mini-loaf pans.
I find your banana eating habits just a little gross, but your banana bread –FABULOUS!
So bizzare that I was hoping to come here and find a banana bread recipe because I have some freckled bananas just waiting to be used. Thanks for the share!
another thing I learned was coconut - try some dry unsweetened, or better yet, fresh grated or thawed, frozen fresh grated (chewier than the dry one) in your banana bread - it is to die for!
I can’t believe I’m just finding this post now. Bravo! I love the adjustments, especially the bourbon. Gorgeous photos!
Great recipe. But why are you all tossing those lovely ripe bananas? toss them in the freezer instead for your next batch of bread.
http://badhomecooking.blogspot.com/2007/01/how-to-make-your-house-smell-good.html
Ode to banana bread, with a link to this page! I bow very low.
I made this exactly per recipe… except, second time substituted ALL flour with whole-wheat flour as an experiment. What with all the spices and somewhat inexact bourbon measuring (as per your recipe, of course!), even my bf, king of all things white, fried or greasy, loved it. A little darker and grittier than white flour. But I liked it better all the same. Do you think it would be de trop to use more than 3 or 4 Bananas?
I’m making this recipe right now…..I didn’t have any bourbon, just rum left over from the Christmas cakes….think that will be all right? I must say, it’s making the house smell lovely!
That’s really funny how here in America, almost everyone I know won’t eat/buy a banana that’s not mostly green.
Where I’m from (Singapore) those bananas up there would still be in their prime or not yet prime enough because there seems to still be some green on it. To each culture their own I suppose…
This looks like a good recipe to follow, although I might wait a little more on the bananas!!
Love this site! LOVE IT.
I’ve been experimenting with MANY banana bread recipes recently, and yours was among the four I tried yesterday. I really enjoyed the spices and bourbon in yours, but I think a tsp of baking powder (in addition to the baking soda) would really help lighten it up. [Your loaf came out quite a bit denser than some of the other loaves I’ve tried.]
Just a suggestion, but other than that, I’m a frequent lurker of your site. :)
Sweet mary mother of pearl. I don’t bake, except for banana bread and pumpkin bread, which I bake extremely well, thankyouverymuch, but after making probably a dozen different banana bread recipes (including Elise’s), this one takes the cake. Just when I thought I’d found the perfect (for me) banana bread recipe, boom! I get my hair knocked back and now I’m questioning everything.
Ok maybe not, but damn this is a great recipe. Bravo.
oh dear, i don’t think those spotty bananas are quite ripe yet.
i like them browner!
I mash my over-ripe bananas, pour each mashed banana into the individual compartments of a muffin tin and freeze them. After they are frozen, pop them out and put the “banana patties” into a freezer bag and store in your freezer. When I get the urge to make banana bread, a smoothie, whatever banana thing I want, I just get them out of my freezer.
Finally, I have done a Smitten recipe justice! Its taken years as I have been reading for longer than I can remember and now I have the excuse to drop you a comment! I had three freckled bananas calling out to me this morning, one sister staying with my for a holiday and one small toddler who loves “badas”. I didn’t have baking soda, my baking powder was out of date so I used self-raising instead. My fan assist oven always cremates anything I try to bake slowly but this time everything came together and I just tried my first slice and this loaf is heavenly. Its slightly denser looking than yours, but thats the way they like their banana bread Downunder, I know this is going to be a hit at tea this arvo, and I WON’T be disclosing the nature of that secret ingredient, no one needs to know the banana bread their toddler is devouring contains a cheeky hit of Jack Daniels!
HOLY FREAKING MOLY!
I had been craving banana bread for about 2 weeks. I had a tried and true recipe, and seeing that I really totally suck at measuring stuff, and it had worked out in the past I was set on using this recipe. Then … I thought … no way! I have been reading all the super fantabulous recipes on SK and she HAS to have a better recipe. OH EM GEE! This banana bread makes me happy in my pants! It is SO moist, SO flavorful, SO perfect.
One million times thank you … I can’t wait to be bold enough to cook another of your recipes.
I have a great banana bread recipe from Cooking Light that has rum and lime juice..,I don’t have bourbon, can I use rum?