There’s good food and there’s comfort food, right? Some food is just delicious where other food is delicious and makes you feel good. But some food makes you feel literally comfortable. Like being wrapped in a warm blanket, sitting by the fireplace on a pile of pillows, and drinking tea while listening to Sade. I don’t have a fireplace, and although it seems nice, blankets outside the bedroom are ridiculous. Putting a pile of pillows on the floor would likely annoy my wife…but there is Sade and this banana bread. Which is immodestly spiced and has a crust that is vaguely boozy. If you don’t have a fireplace either, or are looking to accentuate your fireplace experience by doing more than getting your pillows and blankets dirty, try it.
-The crust is totally unnecessary – just delicious. This is not as good without it, but still quite good. Feel free to substitute some crushed nuts, or just a sprinkling of some cinnamon sugar instead. Or acceptably, sadly, nothing.
-I’ve tried this with a dark agave syrup instead of maple syrup. It came out very nice and gave this a beautiful chocolate color. Please try,
-Cayenne pepper!!?? Yes, cayenne pepper, not enough to make this spicy, just enough to tickle the tongue and highlight the other spices. Admittedly, the cayenne pepper I have is relatively mild, so try this with half of what I recommend if yours really burns. Or, you can skip it.
Banana Bread for Comfort
Better than having a fireplace
Ingredients
-2 overripe bananas – mashed
-½ ripe (but fresh banana) – cut into ¼ in cubes
-½ tsp baking powder
-1 tsp baking soda
-¼ tsp nutmeg
-¼ tsp cardamom
-¼ tsp cinnamon
-¼ tsp cayenne pepper
-¾ cup maple syrup
-2 cup flour
-½ cup mayonnaise
-1 large egg
-1 tsp vanilla extract
For the crust:
-2 tbs oatmeal
-1 tbs rum
-1 tbs maple syrup
-1 tbs brown sugar
Directions
For the crust:
1. Mix together oats, rum, and maple syrup in a small bowl, or coffee cup, and sit overnight. (I think just an hour or two might do the trick, but I haven’t verified this.
For the bread:
1. Mix everything together besides the chopped banana. I always mix the wet things then add the dry things, but it doesn’t matter here.
2. Gently stir in the chopped banana (don’t break it or mash it).
3. Set oven to 350 degrees.
4. Grease and flour a 9in x 5in baking tray. Add dough.
5. Sprinkle oats evenly on top of the dough.
6. Put in oven bake for 60-65 minutes or until a knife stuck in the center comes out dry.
7. Put on the following song. Close your eyes and imagine a fireplace and pillows and blankets. Put banana bread in your mouth. Continue putting banana bread in mouth until you no longer need to daydream about fireplaces and you just feel good.
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