It was a request from a reader that inspired this column. “You told us we could freeze really ripe bananas to save for banana bread. I have several in the freezer and need the space. How about a recipe?”

This reader speaks for a lot of folks out there who wound up with extra fruit, especially bananas, when we were all quarantined. I understand that banana bread was one of the most requested recipes during that time.

I pulled a couple from my files which I may have shared before with slight adaptations. 

The first recipe is a vintage one, using full fat sour cream. 

Maybe you’ll like the second recipe —  supposed to be a clone of Bob Evans’s famous sweet banana bread. 

Just be sure and use really ripe bananas, you know the ones that are speckled well with dark spots. The darker the better! They are the sweetest and best to use. 

Now that it’s OK to visit, how about sharing with a neighbor or friend? 

Really good & really moist banana bread

Ingredients

1/2 cup sour cream (not low fat)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 stick of butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2-3)

1-1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (opt)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine sour cream and baking soda in small bowl and set aside until it foams.

Cream butter and sugar with mixer until fluffy.  Beat in eggs.  Add vanilla.  Mix in mashed bananas.  Mix in sour cream mixture.  Add flour, cinnamon, salt and nuts and mix until just combined.

Pour into greased or sprayed loaf pan. (I use butter).  Bake 55 minutes to1 hour or so. 

Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert on rack.

Like famous restaurant banana nut bread 

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 large eggs, beaten

3 very ripe bananas (mashed)/1 cup or so

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. 

Sift dry ingredients together.

Cream sugar and butter until fluffy.

Add eggs and bananas

Add dry ingredients a little at a time. 

Add buttermilk a tablespoon at a time. Stir in nuts. 

Pour into a greased, floured loaf pan. Bake one hour. 

This can also be baked in three small loaf pans  (7 1/2 X 5 3/4 X 2 1/4) for 

35 minutes.

Gilding the lily: Powdered sugar glaze

Whisk 3 tablespoons water or milk, or more if needed, into 1-1/4 cups powdered sugar. Add a splash of vanilla if you want. Spread on cooled bread.

Tip: Use the muffin method for mixing banana bread

What this means is use a light touch when mixing. Don’t over mix or bread will be tough with little tunnels running through. Basically you want to mix everything gently until just combined.

Banana bread can be frozen. 

RIPEN BANANAS FAST IN THE OVEN!

Place on cookie sheet, and roast unpeeled at 300 for about 10-15 minutes, until skin turns  black. Cool and use.