Moist Banana Bread Recipe

Those bananas are on their last leg. You’ve watched them sit on your kitchen counter… changing colors from a sunny yellow to a dingy brown. There’s even that little squishy part on the bottom. We’ve all lived this nightmare.

Would you believe me if I said you could do something with those mushy brown bananas? No… not garden fertilizer. Some of the best (and moist) banana bread I’ve ever made was from the brownest banana in the bundle! It may sound strange… gross… or even unsafe to eat those rotting bananas, but they are safe (and tasty in bread).

My mom and I have been baking banana bread using this recipe for as long as I can remember. It makes a great holiday gift because you can buy those disposable foil loaf pans. They’re inexpensive and you can easily wrap up your loaves in some festive cellophane wrap (tied with a ribbon) for an extra touch.

It’s a cheap way to say happy holidays… or if it’s not a holiday season, it’s just a good way to remind someone that you’re thinking of them. My neighbors, especially, love these loaves!

Yield: 16 servings (note: the mini foil loaves will only have 8 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups mashed banana (about 3 bananas)
• ½ cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

1) Preheat over to 350 degrees .Combine flour, baking soda and salt and blend with a whisk. Set aside.

2) Place sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about one minute).

3) Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt and vanilla and beat until blended. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed just until moist.

4) Spoon batter into an 8 ½ x 4 ½ -inch loaf pan coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until wooden pick inserted comes out clean.

5) Cool 10 minutes in pan or on a wire rack. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Enjoy!

I especially love this bread right out of the oven and a glass of milk! For fun variations to this delicious recipe try adding a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips or a cup of your favorite nut (I like pecans in this recipe.)

You can make the bread plain as well. To distinguish the loaves, sprinkle a little bit of your “special ingredient” on top of the loaves, like the chocolate chips or the pecans. Yum! I think you too will find that this moist banana bread recipe is completely worth the wait for the brown bananas!

One…Two… Chocolate Fondue

Ready, set, fondue! This chocolate fondue recipe is so easy, if you blink, you just might miss it. The ingredients are basic, it tastes delicious—in fact, you don’t even need a fondue pot to make it! It doesn’t get much more basic than that! Let’s get started!

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or Amaretto liqueur (optional)
• Bite sized pieces of fruit or cake
  

Directions:

1) Combine the chocolate and heavy cream in a medium heavy saucepan over medium-low heat.

2) Stirring constantly, cook for about two minutes, or until melted and smooth. Add the vanilla and liqueur. Serve with the fruit and cake.

Yum! This chocolate fondue recipe is so delicious! My best friend and I have a little pink fondue pot and when we hang out, at nights we’ll break out the fondue pot, this recipe, and a chick flick! It’s so much fun.

Also, there are many different options to serve this recipe with. We especially like bananas, strawberries, pineapple, and mandarin oranges.

Pound cake is good too just so long as it doesn’t get crumby and break into pieces and fall into the chocolate.

For a special treat, try dipping tiny pieces of cheesecake into the fondue. We don’t do cheesecake too often, but when we do it’s so good! Try this recipe for yourself… make a night of it. It’s a great addition to any “girl’s night in” or “at-home date night”. Enjoy this fantastic chocolate fondue recipe… make seconds if necessary!