Day 17: Banana Bread

I prefer my bananas just ripe. Slightly green, no spots on the peel, just sweet enough. Not too green, not too yellow. None of that soft, mushy, grainy texture, though I don’t mind eating the bruises (thanks, Dad).

When the banana peels start to spot, I let them sit and ripen, saving them for a weekend when I have time to bake banana bread.

When I was a kid, my mom would use my dad’s best friend Bobby’s grandmother’s recipe:

Mrs. Bonnet’s Mom’s Banana Bread

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 soft bananas – mashed
• 1/3 cup shortening (butter) – melted
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups flour – sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup nuts if you like

Mix all ingredients: first the egg with the sugar and melted butter, add the bananas, then mix all the dry ingredients and add them to the wet mixture little by little. Bake at 375 in a loaf pan for 1 hour.

That was the first banana bread I ever made on my own. It tasted like home.

Later, after college and during the pandemic, I played around with different recipes.

I made Liz Moody’s salted cookie dough healthy banana bread, which is delicious if you’re aiming for a grain-free alternative and don’t mind splurging on cashew butter.

I’ve tried banana breads subbing applesauce for the third banana that I don’t have. They’re not as good.

When my sister sent me Jennifer Fisher’s My Mom’s Da Bomb banana bread, I knew I’d found my go-to. Whether you’re making a loaf or a tray of muffins, this recipe never fails. Use mini chocolate chips or chop up a bar of your favorite dark chocolate, add nuts or don’t, it truly is “da bomb.” I usually make the muffins and freeze them, warm them up for a quick and sweet breakfast. They’re the perfect edible gift for the people I love.

I make a batch this morning as I dance around my apartment to P’s latest mix, throwing a load of laundry in before I start mixing ingredients, and washing my hair as they bake. My apartment fills with the slightly cinnamon-y aroma, greeting me like a warm memory as I get out of the shower. I pull them out and let them cool, tempted to bite right into one. But I’ll refrain, because today I’m bringing them to a picnic for a very special birthday girl.