Baking Is The Answer

I have a need to bake something. I know it's 6 am and the though of waking the teenagers up to the sound of clanging bowls and pans should send me scurrying into the living room with a good book and my coffee, but I really need to bake! I'm feeling a bevy of emotions today some of which can be attributable to hormones but most of which are a direct result of turning on CNN. This is my therapy, and although you would think the combination of extreme emotions and cooking would be a recipe for disaster it is weirdly quite the opposite. No matter what horrors are taking place in our world there is an odd comfort derived from the making of a meal - or in this case - dessert, and when you are feeling helpless and useless it's one way to take charge of your seemingly out-of-control world. I'm convinced this is why people bring so much food to a wake. No matter what your culture we all have this ritual in common. If someone dies the neighbors, family and friends all bring food in huge quantities. I used to find this practice more than a little disturbing. Someone died for heaven's sake, who could be thinking about eating?! As I grew older I realized the true meaning behind the gesture. Food - the preparation, presentation, ceremony associated with it has been a constant since the beginning of time, when we have celebrated milestones, given thanks to Almighty Providence, welcomed new life, and enjoyed the company of family and friends. But we have also gathered together over meals where there have been disappointments and losses, where we have paid our last respects to loved ones, meals that are not for celebration but survival. Sustenance is a necessity but when we gather together over a meal like this we also experience the comfort and assurance in that ordinary everyday act, that no matter what terrible events shake our lives and throw us off kilter, we are not alone, and with sharing that meal somehow the hope is there that everything will be alright.

Last night I dreamt of the six perfectly overripe bananas sitting on my counter begging to be made into something delicious. Baking is good therapy- it requires the precise following of a recipe or if you're altering a bit, a basic knowledge of kitchen chemistry in order to avoid disaster. There is something supremely comforting in the thought that if I follow the rules precisely I can count on the end result being exactly what I expected. No chaos in baking. Just blissful, reliable results by following a few basic rules. Very unlike life.

Banana walnut cake alone is a delicious thing but today I am in need of chocolate. Bananas and chocolate sound like a heavenly combination to me right now. When I was a kid my mom would take bananas and fry them in butter until they were golden and caramelly. She told us the story of the day my dad brought the boss home to dinner with an hour's notice, and she had nothing planned for dessert. Looking around she saw ripe bananas, vanilla ice cream, an assortment of nuts, cornflakes and cinnamon, and she started thinking. She took those bananas and fried them up with some sugar and vanilla until they were golden and served them over the ice cream, topped it all with chopped nuts and crushed cornflakes and it was simply bliss...The boss was a happy man. Now think a drizzle of chocolate sauce on that. I'm going to attempt to make a banana chocolate chip bundt cake based on those flavors. You can never go wrong with a caramelized banana.

The Plan

I start by frying up the bananas and sugar at a fairly high heat in the butter called for in the recipe until they are golden brown and caramelized then set them aside to cool; once cooled I add the whole thing to the rest of the wet ingredients. The smell of this combination is just heavenly. Trust me if you do this simple step your banana bread will never be the same!

I played with a basic banana cake recipe doubling the bananas called for and reducing the amount of sugar from 1 1/2 c. to 1 c. (caramelizing the bananas will reduce their moisture content) In my attempts to be a bit healthier I also halved the amount of butter called for and replaced it with low-fat buttermilk, and I really didn't miss it one bit. I added 1 c. of semi-sweet chocolate chips as well. And extra vanilla. Next time I'll try a little dark rum too. "Bananas Foster" cake...with chocolate. Now that's how I like my banana cake!

My house is filled with the glorious aroma of baking and somehow the world is a little friendlier and more cheerful than it was an hour ago. And alas the baking cake has brought my family out in search of the source of that heavenly scent and this cake is going to get sliced while still nice and warm!

The Recipe

This is my finished recipe - but really if you have a favorite banana bread recipe you can easily adapt it to make it work. Have fun playing and experimenting.

1/2 c. unsalted butter
6 ripe bananas chopped
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 c. golden brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 t. pure vanilla extract
1/2 t. salt
1 3/4 c. all purpose unbleached flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 finely chopped walnuts (optional) Toast walnuts in the oven before finely chopping them!
3/4 c. mini chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Position rack in the middle of the oven. Butter or spray Bundt pan and flour, tapping out any excess.

Melt the butter in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add bananas and sugar and cook until mixture is golden - about ten to fifteen minutes. Let it cool until warm. In a large bowl whisk eggs, butter mixture, buttermilk, and vanilla. Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda and add to batter along with nuts and chocolate chips. Mix just until combined evenly - don't overmix or you'll have a tough cake!

Set your timer for 45 minutes. Check with a wooden skewer for doneness. Set your pan on a rack to cool for about fifteen minutes before inverting it on a rack. This cake tastes great warm!
Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap and it should keep well for about a week. (Trust me - it won't last that long!)