Banana Pancakes

This is the story of two sad bananas.  They were gorgeous when I brought them home.  Then they sat there as they watched the other bananas in their bunch get picked, only to be left behind.  Their skin went from bright, sunny yellow to brown and spotty.

Once bananas pass a certain stage in their ripeness, I won't eat them.  It's a texture thing, I don't like mushy food and these were about as "mushad" as one could possibly get. 

Normally I would freeze them for smoothies or wait until I had one or two more for banana bread.
But,  I felt the need to rescue them and do something with them other than relegating them to the dark, frozen tundra that is my freezer.

Pancakes are not usually what I crave for breakfast.  Generally I find them to be too filling, but these are not.  After eating more than my fair share I am happy to report that I did not have that "blegh" feeling after eating.  You know that feeling...  Rewind back to Thanksgiving.  Yeah, that one.

As usual when I am looking for a recipe I know I have, I can't find it.  Luckily I found a good jumping off point on allrecipes and then tweaked it to suit my tastes.

mashing bananas!

 

 

Banana Pancakes

 

1 cup AP flour

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

1 cup whole milk

2 tbsp melted butter, cooled

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/8 tsp cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

 

 

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.  Whisk to combine.

 

In a medium bowl combine egg, milk, butter, vanilla and bananas.

 

Add dry ingredients to wet, mix until just combined and all flour is incorporated.

Batter will be lumpy, do not overmix. 

 

Ladle about a 1/3 cup batter into pan on medium heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side.

I'm BANANAS for these muffins...

Now that the temperatures are not hovering near the triple digits, I'm no longer avoiding my oven like the Bubonic plague.   Which is a good thing for me, as I thoroughly enjoy baking. 
I've said it before, it's cheaper than therapy and that is exactly what it is for me...  therapeutic.   It's quiet, calming and serene,  all the things one needs when living in one of the most hectic, crowded, noisiest cities in the world. 

The quiet moments puttering around the kitchen, the sound of the back of a knife scraping across a measuring cup to level off flour, the clinking of the measuring spoons as they delve into baking powder,  these sounds are truly soothing to me.
The warmth and aromas that emanate from the oven... here's where it really starts to get good.

The original recipe called for all-purpose flour and the traditional creaming method.  I opted to follow my friend Jenni's advice and switched out the flour with a lower gluten cake flour and changed the method to include liquid fat, i.e. melted butter instead of chilled.   The oven temp in the original recipe was 350, I cranked it up to 400.   Every professional baker I've ever known has baked muffins at this temp, so I'm not really sure why all the recipes call for 350,  but I digress...

These muffins are so good, I'm not ashamed to say I ate 3 the day they were made.  It was all for research purposes of course!  I couldn't put a recipe here without being completely confident that it passed the test, now tell that to my jeans...


Banana Muffins
-adapted from Cooking Light

• 2 cups cake flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• 1 1/2 cups mashed banana (3 - 4), room temp
• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt, room temp
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

All ingredients at room temperature

 

Streusel Topping

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup oats
• 4 tbsp almond flour (optional)
• 1 tsp cinnamon

look at those PEAKS!

 

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine cake flour, baking soda, salt & sugar in a large bowl.  Whisk to thoroughly combine and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, butter, banana, yogurt and vanilla together. Pour on top of dry ingredients and fold gently until just combined.  Do not overmix!  Your laziness will be rewarded, I promise.

Top generously with streusel topping and bake for 14 - 15 minutes.   Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove carefully to a rack to cool completely.

No tunnels!

Fuel to Ride

Those that know me know exactly how I feel about my bike.  I love it.  The very moment I’m in the saddle, the feeling of unabashed happiness floods over me.  It is without a doubt the thing that brings me the purest joy.  When I'm riding,  it's all I think of.  My mind is completely clear of all the stresses life brings.  The wind on my face, the sound of my tires as they meet the pavement, the feel of the grips under my hands...  these are the things that make my soul sing.

Think back to your first bike… that first taste of freedom your bike allowed you.  For me, it was being able to go past the stop sign and all the way around the block.  Knowing that I was out of my mother’s line of sight was both thrilling and terrifying.  It wasn’t that I was up to anything that I shouldn't have been, just that I was alone and free.

I’ll be doing my first big ride in a week and a half.  42 miles through the 5 boroughs of New York City.  The ride starts out in Manhattan winding our way through Central Park, past the Empire State Building and Radio City Music Hall before we head into the Bronx, down the FDR and over into Queens.   In Queens we will ride past Silvercup Studios and then head to Brooklyn (yay!).  Once we're in Brooklyn,  we'll ride along New York Harbor and over the Verrazano Bridge (thankfully NOT paying the $13 that it costs to use) and into Staten Island where the ride comes to an end.

view from the path

To get through this or any ride, you'll need some energy and portable is always best where a bike is concerned.  I love a good smoothie and it's a great way to give your body the fuel it needs.  I particularly like this one because it has a little bit of everything to keep you going,  it's quick & easy and tastes pretty good too.

Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie

4 oz Greek Yogurt
3 TB Agave or Honey
1 ripe banana, cut into pieces & frozen
2-3 TB peanut butter
1 TB wheat germ
1 C. lowfat, soy or almond milk

Put everything into the blender and enjoy!