Momma’s Going Bananas Over Here, Send Help

I am a true believer of broken roads because without them, we could not become the person we are meant to be. It is in the fire that steel is forged, slowly and painstakingly a dull piece of metal is turned into a sharp edged sword, and such is life- we endure trials and climb our mountains. We burn in the fire in hopes of a better day once the smoke has cleared.

But lately, the fire has seemed hotter, the mountain taller and the smoke so thick you could choke on it.  

Before I became a mother, I never knew how isolating it could be. This past February I had my second son and shortly after the world went on lockdown. Any hope of a breathe of fresh air was eliminated. The days blended together, the hours feeling like an endless list of chores and duties, their check boxes never being crossed off.  My maternity leave ended in June and I had to return to working as a nurse at our hospital on the designated COVID-19 unit. I had never known the sense of fear that I experienced those first few weeks returning to work. At home I had a tiny baby, a toddler and a husband depending on me and I would have to leave them to take care of very sick people, infected with a virus that we still didn’t fully understand. It was during this time that the darkness surrounding me felt suffocating.

I remember I was on a walk when a word came into my mind and settled into my heart like a stone sinking into a deep dark lake. Despair. The absence of hope. Wow, isn’t that word scary? To have no hope, to be in the train tunnel and there is no light to show you the way out. That’s what I felt that day, no hope for the future, no hope that goodness would over rule evil or that diseases would be cured. It had been several days of me ruminating on this word when I finally shared it with one of my closest friends. It’s hard to be vulnerable with people and let them know how you feel especially when it’s something like having no hope… but I did that day and something truly amazing happened. I found out that she was in the dark train tunnel too and instead of being alone in the darkness, I had someone next to me and together, by sharing how we felt, a light started to shine. I wanted to share this because in the past I have been persecuted for sharing how I feel or it being too deep. But if we choose to be open, to be honest, ask for help when needed then maybe we wont feel so alone and escape the darkness together.

The kitchen is somewhere that has always felt therapeutic to me. There is something about kneading a ball of dough, stirring in chocolate chips or smoothing a layer of butter cream frosting. And when all else fails, my go to for baking therapy is banana bread. It’s sure to make your house smell welcoming and delicious, its fairly fail proof and the biggest plus of all- kids love eating it for a snack. Now I am sure your thinking why do I need another banana bread recipe? Trust me, if you try this one, it will be the last one you will ever need and you will never go back to your old one.

My mother made a version of this recipe for me as a child.  As I grew up, I changed the recipe here and there until it is now in my opinion a super moist, light textured, spot on banana bread. The key to this bread is using frozen bananas. I have gotten into the habit of storing my over ripe bananas in the freezer- I peel them, wrap them individually with cling wrap and store them in an airtight zip lock bag. When you’re ready to make some bread, take out 4 bananas, unwrap them and place them in a bowl. I leave them to sit for a few hours in order to thaw and get up to room temperature. If you’re in a hurry you can pop the bowl into the microwave and heat in 30-second intervals until room temp. Its important to make sure the bananas are not still partially frozen because when you add them to the batter, it will cause the butter in the batter to become too cold and solidify.

Now, after the bananas have been sitting out for a few hours, you will get a gross looking bowl of super squishy bananas with brownish liquid. You may be temped to pour out this banana juice but don’t! That is what’s going to help moisten up our bread.

Next step is creaming our butter and sugar. I always bake with unsalted butter that way I can control the salt level. Once the butter and sugar are nice and creamy, add the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla.  Time to bring in our bananas- I typically use my electric hand mixer (since I have already dirtied it up with the butter mixture) to quickly smash and puree my bananas. Feel free to use a potato masher if you so desire. Once the bananas are a chunky but a little smooth consistency add it in to your butter mixture, and mix until well combined.  Continue making the bread per the recipe below.

Feel free to add in chopped walnuts. When baking this bread, make sure to check it at the 65-minute mark. A toothpick or skewer inserted into the bread should come out clean. When finished allow the bread to cool slightly before slicing into it, this will help it to retain its moisture.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does. And remember, if your having a hard day and that mountain feels a little to high, make some bread, call a friend and climb that mountain together. 

XO- Kayla

Super Moist Banana Bread

Kayla Bauman

This banana bread is super moist, delicious and sure to be a new family favorite!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Snack

Servings 10 Slices

Ingredients

  

• 4 bananas previously frozen, thawed, room temperature
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp whole milk
• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

 

• Place 4 frozen bananas in medium bowl. Set aside and allow to thaw and come to room temperature. The bananas will become very soft and liquidy.
• Preheat oven to 350° and grease a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Cream together using an electric mixer for several minutes until it becomes light and smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in milk.
• Using your electric hand mixer (or you can use a potato masher), smash bananas and banana liquid until they are at a slightly chunky consistency. Add into butter mixture and combine well.
• Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well but take care not to overmix the batter. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake in preheated oven for 70 minutes. Bread is done when tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top of the bread is deep golden brown.
• Let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before removing from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

*Using frozen bananas is what gives this recipe its super moist texture and deep flavor. You may be temped to skip this step, but trust me, it's so worth it. Just store your overripe bananas in the freezer in a large ziplock bag for whenever you have the urge to make banana bread.

*The bananas will become very soft and omit a liquid while thawing. Make sure not to pour out any of the liquid, this helps the bread become very moist.

*May add 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, if desired, during the final step of mixing.