By: Rae Winchell

Growing up, whenever my mom made banana bread, my sister and I would listen closely as she told us the story behind it. She would tell us how when she was our age, on special occasions, she’d walk into the kitchen to find a trail of jujubes. She would follow the colourful trail, which ran all along the counter tops, past the stove, and towards the end of the kitchen. At the end of the candyland trail, she’d find a circular loaf of warm banana bread. My mom loved these special days when her mom (my grandma Alix) would bake for her.
Grandma Alix was an excellent baker. She could make just about anything, but she was best known for her banana bread. Everyone agrees it’s a perfect loaf - moist, buttery, and just melts in your mouth. When fresh out of the oven, the delicious smell travels across the street. Grandma Alix had mastered this  recipe, and I am lucky enough to have tried it. While I never got to meet Grandma Alix, her legacy has been passed on to my mom’s generation, my generation, and likely many more to come. It is a family classic and a crowd pleaser. 
I was raised in a banana obsessed family. Want a snack? Have a banana. Breakfast? Eat a banana. If you’re feeling special, you might even add some peanut butter on top. My family can sometimes feel a little too ambitious when purchasing bananas, so we often have extra sitting on the counter. After a few days, the uneaten bananas start to brown. They continue getting browner and browner each day until eventually, the entirety of the banana is a dark brown and starts to get mushy. While it may seem absolutely disgusting (and it is), this is prime time for banana bread. The browner the bananas get, the sweeter they taste, and the better the bread. 
I have made this bread too many times to count that now, the recipe is engraved in my mind. It is my go to for any potluck, house warming gift, and weekend treat. It’s easy to make, and I love sharing the joy it brings with everyone around me.

     

  1. Set oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a small bowl, combine 1 heaping teaspoon of baking soda into 4 tablespoons of sour cream. Yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream! Set aside, and allow the mixture to rise.
  3. ​In a large bowl, combine 1 stick of butter and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mash with a fork or a stand mixer until mixture is relatively combined. 
  4. Next, in a small container (don’t use glass in case of breakage while mashing) mash the bananas. Like I mentioned above, browned bananas are best. I usually do 2-3 and mash until well combined. 
  5. Scoop banana mixture into your large bowl, along with 1 cup of granulated sugar and 2 eggs. Again, mix until well combined. 
  6. In a medium bowl, mix 1 ½ cups of flour with 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder. Whisk gently, allowing mixture to combine slowly. 
  7. Now, we will combine the two. Pour a small portion of the flour mixture into the large bowl. Mix. Continue adding small amounts of flour mixture until everything is well combined. 
  8. Now, take the sour cream mixture from the start and pour into the batter. Stir well. Option for chocolate chips, I typically do ¾ cups. 
  9. To bake, the banana bread comes out best when baked in a bundt pan. With a good amount of butter, spread evenly across the entire pan. This is key to creating a moist bread. So the more butter, the better.
  10. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Use a toothpick to check if bread is cooked through properly. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. The cooling process is very important so DO NOT TOUCH until bread is almost fully cooled!
  11. Finally, to transition the bread to the cooling rack, flip the pan upside down onto the rack, and pat gently. Slowly, lift pan off the rack, and allow bread to cool for another 5-10 minutes. 
  12. Enjoy!! I recommend eating with a side of tea and some butter spread on top of your piece.
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