Of Carrots, Corn and Cookbooks

My newly-married friend Ashley emailed me yesterday in search of a good carrot raisin recipe. She of the I don't use cookbooks school of cooking was finally convinced that you really can't find everything you need for good cooking for free on the internet. "What's a good all-purpose cookbook?" she wanted to know. Better Homes and Gardens, I said.

I've had my copy—a paperback—so long that I honestly can't remember when I got it. Not surprisingly, it's really dog-eared. And since many of the pages have actually fallen out of the book, they're usually out of order. No matter. I know where my favorite recipes are, well enough to find them without page numbers or a complete index. The lemon zest, tomato sauce, and au jus stains don't hurt either.

I wasn't able to help Ashley with a recipe. Carrot raisin has never been among my favorite muffin combos (carrot cake muffins with cream cheese frosting, well now, that's a different story!). But she did get me thinking about baking. So I pulled out a bunch of frozen bananas and whipped up some bread.

I doubled the recipe so I'd have enough batter for three loaves (two for us and another for a friend whose husband had knee surgery). I use smallish bread pans, so plan on only one loaf if you use a regular sized pan; or 12 muffins if you go that route.

Banana bread with pecans and lemon zest
(an adaptation of a BHG classic)

1&1/2 cups flour (I use white wheat for a heartier, healthier loaf)
1&1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt (optional)

1 egg
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 medium)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil (I used canola)

1/2 cup chopped pecans (I roast my pecans in a 350 degree oven for 10 min before chopping)
zest of one lemon

(The cookbook labels those last two ingredients "optional," but in my book, they make the bread.) Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 minutes or till center is set (test with a toothpick or knife). For muffins, bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

And as a footnote to the corn and chili chowder post below, I made it for lunch today and it was even better than I remembered (probably because I used whipping cream this time).

Comments

[Ashley Ramsey]

You've convinced me! I'll be scouring Amazon for Better Homes and Gardens this evening. After I check to see if it's in the budget of course ;)

[Candice Watters]

It's not fancy, but the workhorse I turn to when I'm in need of solid, reliable recipes. :)

[Andrea H.]

Heehee! That's the cookbook my mother has! 3-ring binder. Red gingham design. Probably from the 60s.

For a minute, I thought you meant that ol' lady salad - carrot raisin... Ick. Ew. Blech.
I hear ya on carrot raisin muffins. Um. yeah. NO. Please don't put raisins in my food. Just hand me the cute little box with the gal on the front. I'll nosh on them for a snack. =)

Candice, your photography is just about on par with The Pioneer Woman's. *thumb's-up!*

And do you use really, REALLY ripe bananas? I usually wait till mine are almost completely black on the outside.

Interesting... your recipe doesn't call for vanilla. But I like the substitution of the wheat flour.

The recipe I use calls for sour cream, pure vanilla extract, and whipped egg whites folded into the batter (at the very end, I think). The loaf turns out rather moist and gooey and sticky. And POINT-y, I imagine.

Thanks for sharing your recipes and end results!! =)

[Candice Watters]

Andrea H., THANK YOU. That's just about the nicest compliment I could be paid. :)
BTW, I'm not a fan of the sticky banana bread. Moist, but not sticky. Ew. The sticky kind reminds me of bake sale banana bread (you know, the 3d grade fundraising type).

[Ashleigh]

OK, so reading this post convinced me to pull our Better Homes and Garden cookbook out of the cabinet. We've had it for years, but I've never used it. Time to give it a second chance. :)