Germ's Super-Moist Nana Bread

One of my earliest memories of my mom baking is of her banana bread.  I love my mom with all my heart, and she is by no means an accomplished baker (it's true, you can ask her!), however, I always remember her banana bread being sooooooooo good.  When I started to cook/bake for myself in college, I asked her for some of her recipes.  However, this was not one she chose to share with me until after I was out of school and was married & moved out.  Once I got my hands on the recipe, I tweaked it by jacking up the banana goodness to 11, and then later adjusting for high altitude. 

I call this "Nana Bread" not only because "nana" is short for banana, but also because my mom is called "Nana" by her grandchildren, and this is my tribute to her.  :)  Often I give these and my pumpkin breads away at Christmastime for gifts, not just to neighbors and local friends, but also to friends & family who are thousands of miles away.  My own little way of spreading love & holiday cheer.  I hope you, too, enjoy the end result.  :)

---

Ingredients:
Dry

2 C Flour (unbleached, all-purpose)

1 C Sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

½ C chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans) – optional

Liquid

2 whole eggs, slightly beaten

½ C melted butter (1 stick) or canola oil

⅓ C milk (can be substituted with soy milk)

3-4 (up to 5, depending on size) very ripe bananas (spotty ones are best)

4 tsp vanilla extract

Prep:

Preheat oven to 350°.  Thoroughly grease (or spray w/cooking spray) 1 large, 2 medium-sized or 4 mini loaf pans

Directions:

Mix together sugar, flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  Mash the bananas as well as possible, ensuring there are no large lumps left.  Consistency should be relatively smooth.  To the dry mix, add the eggs, butter and milk.  Stir until everything is moistened, then add the mashed bananas; combine well. 

Add the vanilla and mix well.  If nuts are desired, add these after the vanilla has been incorporated.  Pour into large loaf pan, if using medium or mini loaf pans, divide mixture evenly between the pans. 

Bake for at least 1 hour or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Makes about 12 servings.

High altitude:
Bake for minimum 1 hour 15 minutes.

~~~~~~
GBAdams
01/06/2008

Ma's Styrofoam Cookies

My mother-in-law has been generous over the years on many fronts, but particularly in the kitchen.  She has totally helped to round out my cooking education -- she taught me how to properly cook a turkey for Thanksgiving, how to make pumpkin pie WITH homemade crusts (although nowadays I cheat a little and use the pre-made crusts because I have no patience, LOL), how to make pot roast, etc.  One of the most delightful culinary things she has taught me is how to make these delicate, delicious cookies.  She only made them once a year, around Christmas, and they were coveted by everyone in the family, so most people only got to taste a few from her batch.  Then we moved to Colorado, and though she gave me the recipe before we left, it took me years to perfect them due to the high altitude.  (Much to my husband's chagrin, as he really started to miss these during the Christmas season.)  In doing so, I stumbled onto another culinary tool/ingredient that was previously unknown to me: Cream of Tartar.  I think my mom had some in her spice cabinet, but it never got used, so I had no idea what it was for.  But now I do.  ;)

If you've never worked with Cream of Tartar, know that it is a sour, white powder, used for stabilizing whipped, beaten egg whites (meringue).  I'm sure there's probably other uses for it, but that's all I know about its usefulness.  Just a note about these cookies: Due to the fact that they're meringue, these cookies don't do well in humid environments.  They're ideal for Colorado, since it's sooooo dry up here, but I imagine that if you made these cookies anywhere else with relatively high humidity, they wouldn't last very long (eat them all the same day!), and/or they might not turn out very well. 

One last thing - because there is no flour of any kind in this recipe, it is ideal for those who are looking for a gluten-free treat.  As long as you're not allergic to nuts...  ;)

---

This is enough ingredients for a batch & a half.

Ingredients:
2 egg whites
½ tsp Cream of Tartar
½ C sugar
½ C pecan pieces
1 tsp vanilla






Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 250°F. Beat the egg whites on medium-high speed.  When they have become frothy, add Cream of Tartar.  Continue to beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks. 

Add ⅔ of the sugar, beat at least 3 mins longer, or until the whites start to have a shiny, velvety look.  Add rest of the sugar, then the vanilla.  Continue to beat until sugar and vanilla are fully incorporated. 

Remove from mixer and fold in pecan pieces.  Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets and bake @ 250°F for 50 minutes. 

To see if they're done, pull cookie sheet out most of the way to lift paper to see if it's looking brown, not real white.  If they're really done, they should come off paper easily.



What the finished cookie looks like on the inside. ;)

Store in an airtight container, away from moisture. Makes approximately 36 cookies.

~~~~~~
GBAdams
12/21/2006

Germ’s Pumpkin Bread

This autumn/wintertime favorite of mine took quite a bit of trial and error to get right.  Dare I say it's still a work in progress, even after all these years.  (I even recently tweaked it a wee bit -- and then I also made muffins! But more about that later...)  I started with my banana bread recipe and tried it out with pumpkin...and quickly found out it's not an even swap.  My poor husband was such a good sport about it, gamely trying each iteration until I got it right.  And he's not even a huge pumpkin fan.  I did eventually get it right, even to the point where I sent loaves of these to friends & family as holiday gifts.

So here is the winner.  I hope you enjoy.  :)

---

Ingredients:

Dry
2 C Flour (all-purpose)

1 C white sugar

¾ C dark brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1-2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice

Liquid

2 whole eggs, slightly beaten

½ C melted butter (1 stick) or canola oil

⅔ C milk (can be substituted with soy milk)

15 oz. (1 can) plain mashed pumpkin

4 tsp vanilla extract

Prep:

Preheat oven to 350°.  Thoroughly grease (or spray w/cooking spray) 1 large, 2 medium-sized or 4 mini loaf pans

Directions:

Mix together flour, sugars, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.  Add eggs, butter and milk.  Stir until everything is moistened, then add the mashed pumpkin; combine well.  Mix in the vanilla.  Pour into large loaf pan or divide mixture evenly between medium or mini loaf pans. 

Bake for at least 1 hour or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Can be served plain or frosted with cream cheese frosting, like so:

Makes about 12 servings.

High altitude:
Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.

~~~~~~
GBAdams
01/06/2008