Four Recipes Using Ripe Bananas
By Rachel Paxton
Everyone ends up with ripe bananas they don't know what to do
with. I am ashamed to admit I have thrown many over ripe bananas
away because I didn't know what to do with them. Did you know you
can freeze bananas? They actually freeze very well. You can
either freeze them whole, thawing them out before you use them,
or you can mash them and then freeze them. If you are going to
mash them first add a little lemon juice or fruit preservative to
them before you freeze them to preserve their color or they will
turn brown. Freeze the mashed bananas in freezer containers for
later use in your favorite recipes.
Banana Walnut Cake
1/2 c. soft butter or margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
3 eggs
2 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 c. mashed bananas
1/4 c. milk
1 c. chopped walnuts
Cream together margarine, vanilla, and brown sugar. Add eggs and
beat until light and fluffy. Mix dry ingredients together. Mix
bananas and milk together. Alternate between the banana and flour
mixtures to add to the sugar mixture. Add nuts last. Pour into
two greased and floured 9-inch round pans or one 9x13 inch pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Cool. Frost with cream
cheese frosting.
Frosting:
2 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Soften cream cheese. Mix all together and spread between round
layers, sides and on top or over oblong banana walnut cake.
Banana Drop Cookies
2 1/4 c. sifted flour
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2/3 c. shortening
2 eggs
1 c. mashed bananas
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. sugar
Sift dry ingredients into bowl. Cut in shortening. Add eggs,
bananas, and vanilla, mix well. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 400 degrees about 12
minutes. Makes 3 dozen.
Banana Nut Bread
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. shortening
2 eggs
1 c. mashed banana
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. flour
1/2 c. chopped nuts
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Cream sugar and shortening, add eggs with mashed banana and flour
alternately. Add remainder of ingredients. Pour into a greased
loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Banana Muffins
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 c. mashed bananas
2 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
Cream shortening and sugar. Add one egg at a time; beat after
each addition. Stir in bananas, and then stir in dry ingredients
just until moist. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake 25-30 minutes
at 350 degrees.
About The Author:
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of
What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick
easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, gardening, organizing tips,
home decorating, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative
Homemaking at www.creativehomemaking.com.
