Thursday 2 December 2010

Bananas are good. (Brownies are better.)

Jennie Like most of my favorite recipes, this first one came from Kat, before In Kat's Kitchen existed. Before Twitter even existed. I know. You forgot there was a time before Twitter, didn't you? The other recipe comes from Martha Stewart, who I guess sort of knows her way around the kitchen.

Banana bread is one of the first things I ever learned how to bake. Brownies were the other thing. My mom taught me how to make both and I have many fond memories of us baking together on rainy weekends. I would mash the bananas while my mom got the other ingredients ready, my mom would sigh heavily when (not if) I spilled the flour everywhere, and (my favorite), if I helped, I'd get to lick the beaters (not Fred and George Weasley) after mixing the brownie batter.

Both of these recipes are from the comfort food department (located directly across the hall from the Department of Mysteries).

Kat's Banana Bread (with rum!)

You will need:

4 bananas (old ones that have gone a bit soft)
1/3 c melted butter
1 c sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp dark rum
1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1 1/2 c flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Mix all the ingredients in that order.

3. Bake for at least an hour (possibly more...just keep checking it after it's been in for an hour or it'll get burnt and gross and you'll hate everyone).

4. Let cool, slice, and eat. I like to spread a bit of butter on a warm slice until it's nice and melty. DROOOOOL.

Martha Stewart Brownies* (nutty or nutless)

You will need:

1/2 c unsalted butter
8 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 c sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8 inch square baking pan.

2. Place butter and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water. Heat, stirring frequently, until almost melted. Remove from heat and stir until completely melted. (Note: sometimes this seems like a huge pain in the ass so I melt everything in the microwave.)

3. Whisk sugar and salt into chocolate mixture until smooth; whisk in eggs until combined. Gently whisk in flour just until smooth (don't overmix). Fold in nuts (heh), if desired. And who doesn't desire nuts every now and then?

4. Spread batter evenly in baking pan. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Cut into tiny squares or big squares or, I don't know, triangles if that's your thing and try not to eat them all in one sitting because THAT'S HOW GOOD THEY ARE.

*from this cookbook

13 comments:

kat said...

Excellent. I need a brownie recipe :)

Jennie said...

These are SO GOOD. Very fudgy. And not flat, if that makes sense. I think I prefer them with nuts, too (heeeheeheehee).

mysterygirl! said...

Heh, you said nutless.

Unknown said...

Nuts have no place in such things. Nuts are the downfall of dessert, in my opinion. Therefore, I choose a nutless Martha Stewart.

And only 1tsp of rum? That just seems sad.

eclectic said...

Sir, just dunk the banana bread into a glass of rum. Problem solved!

Jennie, I shall try these brownies post-haste. My go-to brownie is a recipe for cinnamon brownies, but I'm up for a change. These sound wonderful!

kat said...

I want to go on the record as being pro-nuts.

Ashley said...

I want to go on record as saying that I was tempted when you accidentally said we could lick Fred and George Weasley.

Heather Anne Hogan said...

I am pro-nuts in bread, anti-nuts in bed. HAHAHAHAHA! No, I'm kidding. I just don't like nuts in my brownies.

Jennie said...

I will eat brownies, nuts or no nuts. All the brownies, give them here.

Unknown said...

Shari: Genius.

Also, nutted brownies are a crime against nature and probably make the baby Jesus cry.

Ashley said...

As long as there is brownie, I don't care if there is nuts. Pecans, walnuts, mmmm. But basically all that's important is that there is brownie in my mouth. Preferably more than one.

True story: two weeks ago I made a batch of brownies with an oreo crust. They were SO GOOD.

Kiti said...

I would like to lick the beaters if they are Gred and Forge.

april said...

You sold me with "with rum!".