Vintage Eats Recipe: 1974 Banana Bread

It seems like the only recipes for Christmas revolve around sugar. I like sugar as much as anyone, but it is refreshing to veer away and only indulge in something intensely sweet for special events.

While attending a recent party, I chose to contribute something with a little less sugar — banana bread.

Now, some people will say this is nothing exciting and nothing remotely tied to Christmas.

I agree, it was an easy recipe for me to find in my old cookbooks.

But don’t discount it for those reasons. Banana bread is a staple for several reasons.

• It is simple to make. I was in/out of the kitchen in an hour.
• It can be a good instructional recipe to make with kids or beginning bakers.
• It is inexpensive – especially if you can find reduced, ripe bananas in the produce section of your grocery, as I did! As the recipe calls for very ripe fruit, it’s a win-win!
• Most, if not all, of the ingredients will be on your shelves.
• Everybody loves it!

I made two batches and filled the batter of each in some miniature (4-inch) bread loaf pans found, again, at my thrift store. Aren’t they darling? Just right for gift-giving. I chose not to drizzle them with icing because I was packaging them up in baggies and it would be messy.

After waiting for the loaves to thoroughly cool, I put each in a sandwich-sized Ziploc baggie, wrapped it in green ribbon, and distributed them to friends at a party.

They are easy to transport (I put mine in a basket). They are delicious alone or with a dab of topping such as jam.

They do have sugar in them, but it’s not a prevalent taste.

I have lots of memories of banana bread while growing up. Mom seemed to make it more often than other flavors of quick breads.

Since then, I’ve branched out to make many other quick breads and will include other flavors in coming months.

Note: My goal is to learn how to make yeast bread in 2024. It probably won’t be pretty, but it’s a goal.

Have you told someone about this column? Your friends might like to know about recipes from the past that surrounds us with nostalgia.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and try making this bread to share with others. It’s the season for sharing!

As Julia Child would say (I’ve been watching her ‘The French Chef’ shows on Youtube), ‘Bon Appetit!’

Banana Bread — From McCall’s ‘Home-Baked Breads’- volume M16 (MCMLXXIV, 1974)

2 ½ c sifted all-purpose flour

3 t. baking powder

½ t. salt

1 c. sugar

¼ c. soft butter or margarine

1 egg, beaten

1 c. machine ripe bananas (3 small)

2 T. grated orange peel, or 1 T. grated lemon peel

½ c. milk

1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9-x-5-x3-inch loaf pan (I lined mine with pastry paper)
3. Sift flour with baking powder and salt; set aside.
4. In medium bowl, with portable electric mixer or wooden spoon, beat sugar, butter, and egg until smooth.
5. Add bananas, orange peel, and milk, mixing well. Add flour mixture, beating just until smooth. Stir in nuts.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan, bake about 1 hour, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack. To serve, cut into thin slices.

MAKES 1 LOAF

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Vintage Find of the Week

I admit to not always using a sifter when baking. It has just seemed quicker and less of a mess to skip this step.

But after watching many bakers better than me sifting on ‘The Great British Baking Show’ (available on Roku Channel and Netflix), I’m convinced it is a good idea to add airiness to recipes.

This particular 5-cup sifter is enjoyable to look at for its colorful label. It gives the price ($1.98) and describes all of its features: ‘Polished, triple plated chrome’; ‘1 squeeze sifts three times’; ‘No Scatter Sifting’; ‘Triple Screen.’

Wow! This was a power-buster in its day. I paid about $1.00 for it in my local thrift shop. It is resting on a stack of vintage cookbooks I’m excited to peruse.

Do you sift flour for your recipes?

Have a good week!

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