B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

It seems like this time of year bananas are cheap, plentiful, tasty and turning brown right before your eyes. I know this is the case in my house year round. I don't know why that is...I try to buy bananas that are still a tiny bit green so they last a couple of days longer, but it seems like the minute I get them home they're turning into geriatric fruit. So I throw them, peel and all, into my freezer until they can be resurrected into something else.

The following are my two favorite over-ripe banana recipes, which are being posted today because I went to my freezer to fetch a lovely banana pancake for breakfast and about 3 frozen bananas fell out of the door, very near my toes. Which prompted me to think about possibly using one of these recipes in the very near future...before one of my toes becomes a victim of frozen fruit.

Fluffy Banana Pancakes

This is my own revision of a very tasty--but rather fattening--banana pancake recipe. I dropped the fat content from 18 grams (!) per serving down to 1 gram and I believe for a 6 inch pancake you'll run about 100 calories. I also added some wheat germ to the recipe for more fiber, which you really can't taste so it's optional if you don't want to use it. The only con is that this recipe makes a LOT of pancake batter, but they freeze well and taste even better the second time around as banana things are wont to do.

They're great plain or with syrup. My favorite toppings are applesauce or almond butter. Oddly enough I haven't tried them topped with bananas...hmmm. I promise they're good. Even BigScottishJerk.Com likes them!

3 egg whites
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons wheat germ
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

-In a bowl beat the egg whites until foamy, then stir in the bananas, applesauce, and buttermilk. Set aside.
-In a large mixing bowl stir together the dry ingredients, then add the banana mixture. Beat together until everything is well incorporated. (You can add more buttermilk if the batter is thicker than you like it.)
-Pour batter onto a preheated griddle or frying pan. Flip over when the edges begin to dry and the batter bubbles on top.

Makes between 12 and 24 (depending on what size you make the pancakes)

Banana Cake

I made this cake a few months ago for Ray to take to work. I knew it was good when the people he worked with threatened lynching unless they got the recipe for themselves. ( Sheesh! People are violent over cake!) Again, this tastes better if it's allowed to sit overnight after you make it, so bake it the night before and stash it in your fridge. While it doesn't necessarily need frosting, if you're thinking about it I'd say cream cheese frosting is your best bet. YUM.

2 and 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
2/3 cup buttermilk

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour 2 round cake pans or one 9x13.
-Stir together flour, soda and salt. Set aside.
-In a seperate bowl cream together butter and sugars. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in bananas. Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk into the batter until all is incorporated.
-Pour into prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake tests done with a toothpick. Remove from pans and allow to cool completely. Frost if desired.

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An easy tip for people who don't own buttermilk:

I don't often keep buttermilk in my fridge. Okay, I don't EVER keep it in my fridge. It's not something I'd really go out of my way to buy unless I knew I'd need it, like for the two recipes above. In other words, it's not really a staple item for me. It is very tasty and does add a specific flavor to baked goods, so if you do have some, good for you! If not, don't fret...here's an easy fix for the rest of us.

To make pretend buttermilk:

Add 1 and 3/4 tablespoons of cream of tartar to a cup of milk-or-add a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a cup of milk. Let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes and add it to your recipe.

You can also use plain yogurt or sour cream (but thin them down with a little milk to a thick cream consistency) instead of buttermilk.