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
