In The Kitchen With Mother Daughter Duo Tanya and Shelby

At 13, Shelby Hinsey of West Reading collects vintage cookbooks. She also adores bananas.

For her, what’s difficult about her great-grandmother’s 1960s Banana Bread with Vanilla Custard Sauce recipe is not devouring the fruit beforehand.

“You’ve got to mash the bananas with a fork to wake them up,” Shelby says, noting that the skins should be speckled brown.

She and her busy mother Tanya easily cherish food-making minutes and the comfort of this old family recipe, too.

 BANANA BREAD WITH VANILLA CUSTARD SAUCE

BANANA BREAD INGREDIENTS:

• • 1    cup sugar

• • 8    tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature

• • 2     large eggs

• • 3    ripe bananas (with brown spots)

• • 1    tbsp. milk

• • 1     tsp. ground cinnamon

• • 2    cups flour

• • 1    tsp. baking powder

• • 1     tsp. baking soda

• • 1     tsp. salt

BANANA BREAD DIRECTIONS

• • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

• • Butter a 9” x 5” x 3” loaf pan.

• • Cream sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy; add eggs one at a time, beating well.

• • In a small bowl, mash bananas with a fork really well. Mix in milk and cinnamon.

• • In another bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

• • Add banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined.

• • Add dry ingredients. Mix just until flour disappears.

• • Pour in pan and bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until done in center.

• • Cool on rack for 15 minutes, and then remove from pan.

VANILLA CUSTARD INGREDIENTS

• • 2    cups whipping cream

• • 2    capfuls of vanilla extract

• • 2    large eggs

• • 4    large egg yolks

• • 6    tbsp. sugar

VANILLA CUSTARD DIRECTIONS

• • Place whipping cream in heavy medium saucepan. Add vanilla. Bring to a simmer.

• • Whisk egg yolks and sugar in medium bowl until just blended. Gradually add hot cream mixture.

• • Return the mixture to the saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens, about 4 minutes. (DO NOT BOIL.)

• • Strain into a clean bowl, cover and refrigerate until cold, 3 hours.

• • Can be made a day ahead!

• • Serve with banana bread.

TEXT & PHOTO BY JENNIFER HETRICK