Category: Banana

Cardamom Banana Bread

6/19/2015

I'll say it up front. I'm sorry.

In light of the fact that everyone in the continental United States already has their favorite banana bread recipe, I feel like I owe you an apology. When you realize that I dared to post a banana bread recipe that doesn't include chocolate chips, you might agree with me. However, this still manages to be some REALLY good banana bread.

I've tried it with different combinations of flour, and I regret to inform you that while whole wheat pastry flour isn't bad, white is better. Also, although my recipe card has no directions on it, I'm pretty sure I meant to cream the soft butter and sugar together before adding the other liquid ingredients- however, I completely forgot and it was fine, so I will skip that step in the future. This makes one loaf (DOUBLE IT!!!) and of course you can add chocolate chips, and lots of them.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened or melted
2 eggs
3 mashed bananas
1/3 cup sour cream or yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions:
Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a big bowl. Mix the sugar, the brown sugar, the butter, the eggs, the bananas, the sour cream and the cardamom in another bowl. Mix it thoroughly and then stir in the dry ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease a loaf pan with butter. Pour the batter in and then bake the banana bread for about an hour. Test for doneness with a toothpick or skewer.

3 Comments

Banana Cardamom Ice Cream

11/19/2014

2 Comments

This was unbelievable. Everyone loved it. I was almost convinced I should start selling my own ice cream flavors after this, except of course this isn't my recipe at all- it is adapted from a recipe which was adapted from a recipe... Here is a link to the recipe I followed. The directions were unclear as to whether or not the bananas are included in the ice cream itself, but I did and the result was great.

Cardamom is one of my favorite spices, but not one we use much in the West for whatever reason. If you buy it in tiny little amounts from the grocery store you will go broke quickly, but you can buy a much bigger bag from an Indian or Middle Eastern grocer and it will last you a little longer. So you might want to start small if you don't know what it is, but if you reach junkie status now you know where to go. The smell always makes me want rice pudding, which was the first recipe I ever used cardamom in.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 tablespoons cardamom pods
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced into 1-inch pieces
8 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 - 7.5 ounce container crème fraîche (I found this at Trader Joe's)

Directions:
1. Dry roast the cardamom pods in a skillet over medium heat. Watch them closely so they don't burn and take them off the heat as soon as they are toasty and fragrant. Break them up with a rolling pin or crush them a little in a mortar and pestle.
2. Heat up the cream and milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat. As soon as it comes to a boil, put in the cardamom, banana slices and vanilla. Cover it with the lid, and take it off the heat. Let it sit for 15 minutes before straining it. Pick out the banana slices from the strainer and blend them in a food processor. Add them back into the cream mixture.
3. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar, and honey with a handheld mixer until it is lighter in color and slightly foamy. Beat in the creme fraiche and then the cream mixture. Chill it, covered, in the refrigerator for at least an hour before freezing it in your ice cream maker.

2 Comments

Cardamom Banana Bread

Banana Cardamom Ice Cream

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