Surprise #1: Mrs. Dorran's Banana Bread

It's easy to tell the variety of the bread because the loaf pan used to bake it is curved into the distinctive shape of a banana. There are even golden brown ridges along its sides that taper into the tips of the fruit. The speckles dotting it remind you of an overripe banana until you realize they are tiny chocolate chips that were carefully layered into the batter to avoid any sinking as the tender loaf baked.

This isn't for you, and that's the problem…

Apple, blueberry, double chocolate, and other creations have been lovingly crafted before being wrapped in plastic wrap and left to sit. It would almost be better if this was a byproduct of B stress baking because you know how to confiscate the measuring cups or listen to them while they're engrossed in a recipe. Mrs. Dorran asking you what flavors your friend liked after a few doughy offerings went mostly untouched dashed your theory.

She is trying to reach out to B.

Below you will find the recipe for Mrs. Dorran's (angsty) banana bread. 😉 It yields a tender loaf of moist bread that has a dainty banana flavor along with some hints of other spices. It's a great start to any day for breakfast or good with coffee/tea. It's a really simple recipe that just takes some advanced planning to have the ripe bananas on hand. All of the steps fit on one of those old-fashioned, yellow note cards; there are only ten words?? on it. I'll add more though.

This version doesn't include the chocolate chips found in TFS's banana bread; it's a regular banana loaf that you can add chopped walnuts/pecans or maybe try the chocolate, if you're feeling adventurous. 🍌😋 (I recommend walnuts, if you want some nuts in it; they're better.)

Please enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco. It's usually in a block of white.)

1 cup white, granulated sugar

1 cup mashed bananas (You could go heavier, if you want the loaf to be more banana flavored. I add a little extra. The bananas should be very ripe, almost black, to bring out their sweetness. A trick to ripening them quickly is to buy a bundle and place them in a closed paper bag.)

2 eggs

2 cups of flour

3 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon to a teaspoon of cinnamon, depending on your tastes. (My mom and I like cinnamon, but it's whatever you feel works for you!)

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

(Optional) 1/2 cup of chopped nuts

(Optional) Some semi-sweet chocolate chips? Maybe a 1/3 of a cup. Use your heart to guide how much you want in the loaf. 😂🍫

Method

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, if using a convection oven. If not, then 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Prepare a loaf pan by using Pam baking spray or butter and flour.
• ('Mix well' is all the little card says. >.>)
• Prepare the extremely ripe bananas by peeling them and removing those strings then mash them with a fork until you have at least a cup of sweet banana paste. Typically, you will use 4 to 5 bananas.
• I would recommend whisking the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder together so they're all combined in a bowl. Set this aside.
• Crack and lightly whisk the two eggs. Set this aside.
• Cream, as in vigorously mix with a hand mixer or stand mixer, the sugar and the shortening together then add the eggs. Add the lemon juice and the vanilla to this mixture. Mix well.
• Incorporate the bananas into this same mixture. We are trying to get it all combined before adding the flour-blend to avoid over-mixing. I prefer to mix in the flour-blend by hand.
• Now fold in the flour-blend just until everything is combined. If you're adding nuts or chocolate, now is the time to do so, but remember not to over-mix it once at this stage.
• Bake it for 45 minutes and then check if it's done by using the toothpick test. Once it's done, let it cool in the pan for only five minutes and then turn it out onto a cooling rack.

Fun Extras

• Enjoying the banana bread with some butter is always a good idea!
• This bread freezes very well, so you can cut slices, wrap them in plastic wrap, and stick them in the freezer for when you want a snack or quick breakfast.