How to win at Banana Bread

I have had a love/hate with banana bread as long as I've been cooking. Like since the earth cooled. And every time I would think, "gah! Next time I'm going to get it right."

Here is the challenge: it often doesn't cook long enough. That's why when you flip it out of the pan, it has that gooey part on the top of the bread that is still wet. That's because there are mushed up bananas in there. So you have to cook it the full hour.

I have finally figured out the tricks to avoid the wet-ingredients-still-in-the-bread dilemma.

First, bake the bread for 50 minutes. Set a timer. After it dings, then barely open the oven and slide a piece of tinfoil over the bread, close the door and bake for remaining 10 minutes.

Second, once the bread is done, open the oven door, turn off the oven and let the banana bread rest for 2-3 minutes. NOT ANY LONGER. Then place the bread on the counter, let it cool for a few minutes and then slide a knife around the inside of the pan and carefully turn the bread out into your other hand and flip it onto a cooling rack or plate.

Now for the recipe part. Let bananas from the grocery store ripen until they're almost mushy or gross. If you don't have time to bake soon, put them in the freezer and save for later.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup canola oil

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

3-4 mashed ripe bananas

2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray a bread pan with nonstick spray.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

4. In another bowl, whisk together the oil and sugar. Add in the eggs and whisk again but don't over do it.

5. Dump the dry ingredients, bananas and chocolate chips on the wet ingredients, switch to a wooden spoon and gently fold the ingredients together.

6. This is where you pour it into the bread pan. See the first two points in this post for the remaining two steps.

This is an easy thing to whip up for the holidays or any day that ends in "y."