Monday, December 14, 2009

Challenge: Banana

Do you watch Iron Chef? This show pits chefs against each other for their creative (and tasty) use of a secret ingredient. The shows are often titled by that ingredient. Last night's episode was titled Challenge: Sugar.

Thus the title of today's blog. Allegra asked me for a banana bread recipe. I shared this one with her. I, myself, made it on Friday. The recipe says you'll have batter enough for 2 loaves. Alas, I only had one loaf pan. I did, however, have a muffin tin and a "disher." Thus I made muffins for immediate consumption and sharing with a FS group and saved the bread for today, Monday, Date Night. The following is how I plan to utilize it:

Banana Bread-Bread Pudding Recipe



By elle
This bread pudding is made with banana bread instead of plain bread, and it's very decadent and comforting at the same time. I had an extra loaf of banana bread that I needed to freeze or do something with, and along with the help of a few friends, came up with this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf banana bread (approximately 9 x 5 or 8 x 4 inches, or about 6 cups total cubed banana bread)
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 2 cups milk
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 banana, chopped or sliced (you may need 2 if they're small)

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°; grease an 8 inch square baking dish.
  2. Slice the banana bread into 1 inch slices, place the slices on a baking sheet, and toast in the oven, about 8-10 minutes, then cut into cubes.
  3. Layer half the cubes, then the banana, then the rest of the bread cubes, all in the baking dish.
  4. Whisk the half and half, milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla in a bowl, and pour over the banana bread cubes in the baking dish.
  5. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before putting it in the oven.
  6. Bake for one hour--a knife inserted in the center will look wet, but mostly clean.
  7. Let it set for 5-10 minutes, and scoop out and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

The only changes I intend to make are these: I will use brown sugar as that is what I used in the bread itself. And I think I'll add a little rum. Okay, and I have to fudge on the 1/2 and 1/2 as I bought whipping cream by mistake.

As for the rest of date night? You'll have to wait. In the meantime though, I have a question for you--How do you like to eat your bananas?

KHM out

4 comments:

Jadian said...

How do i like my bananas? With peanut butter of course! Or, try a "green smoothie", blend a banana, a pear, some frozen blueberries, and a generous handful of fresh spinach with apple juice...you won't even taste the spinach and you'll feel very healthy!

PWNort64 said...

I'd have to say about the only way I eat bananas is in banana bread. The only time I eat bananas is when they come in a fruit salad that is served to me, or if my body is craving potassium.

Your recipes sound good, I just may have to try them...

Allegra said...

i rarely eat bananas, but when i do, i eat them fresh. i made banana bread for the first time ever this pas weekend (to be accurate, brian made it), but i do love it.

drevas said...

Wish I had this recipe a week ago when I made another loaf of banana bread b/c I didn't know what else to do with all the bananas I had!! I also like bananas sliced on ice cream with chocolate syrup and whipped cream and bananas with Nutella (w/ or w/o whole wheat bread as the base).