Last week I told you how I was slowly organizing my life — at least digitally. Well. Now we're moving into the physical realm: magazines. I don't even know how I started receiving magazines, but somehow I did! A few of them I like to read, Runners World (don't judge!), Food & Wine, the occasional women's fitness magazzine. Others? I have NO idea how they end up in my mailbox. Example: Parents. Parents magazine? Do you know who I am?
I figured it must be a mistake, but it's clearly addressed to me and has followed me through our last move. Hmm. I can assure you no babies are on the horizon (at least not the near horizon), so flipping through Parents magazine isn't high on my to-do list. Also on this list: Entertainment magazine. I could care less about whatever they write about, but yet it still shows up in our mailbox every month (at least! I swear it's more often than that!). Perhaps this week I'll finally cancel ALL of my magazine subscriptions, because really, I can read it all on the internet, and I probably waste too much time reading magazines I don't actually care about. I'll keep the ones with the recipes...
Anyways. Onto the good stuff.
Of all the recipes friends and family ask for ("Do you have a ____ recipe on your blog?") I think banana bread is top of the list. I DO have a blueberry banana bread recipe, from back in the day, but I figured I should put up a good old fashioned banana bread recipe for those people who ask. Then I discovered Deb's recipe, tweaked it a bit, threw in some cardamom, and called it a day. I'm sticking by it as my go-to from now on! Cardamom in banana bread? DELICIOUS! Really. Try it. Asap.
Of course you could always throw in some chocolate chips... which I had to resist SO HARD. I have a bag of mini chocolate chips that need to be used, and they were begging to take a swim in this batter. I held out! Really though, you could take that plunge. Or some pecans — or walnuts! Ohhh yes. Streusel on top wouldn't hurt it either — can you see how things get out of hand? Let's be grateful I stopped at the cardamom and didn't create some crazy over the top banana bread. Except now that's totally on my list. I have a freezer full of overripe bananas BEGGING TO BE STREUSELIZED! Look out!
Bourbon Cardamom Banana Bread
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ¾ cups)
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 Tbsp bourbon (optional)
- ½ tsp of salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- Pinch of ground cloves
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ cup of flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 9" loaf pan.
- Mix together the mashed bananas and melted butter, then mix in the brown sugar.
- Stir in the egg and mix until fully incorporated, then add the vanilla and bourbon.
- Add the salt and all of the spices. Mix in, then add the baking soda and flour. Mix until just incorporated.
- Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Best served warm!
Robin says
This looks delicious! I'm putting it on my list to try. What is the texture of it? Is it more dense and moist (my favorite) or fluffy?
Mary says
Definitely dense and moist - the best!
Robin says
Excellent! I may try and make it tomorrow after I go buy some cardamom from Savory Spice! 🙂
Robin says
Hey...is the flour all-purpose or self-rising? I'm not a good cook/baker so I didn't want to make any assumption! 🙂
Thanks,
Robin
Mary says
All-purpose! Enjoy! 🙂
Amy @ Amy, Actually says
Wow! This looks really good. I have a bunch of overripe bananas too so this recipe sounds perfect.
Baker says
There is info missing from this recipe that anyone who bakes more than twice a year would notice - what is the yield? What size load pan? That being said, I used a mini-loaf pan and it made 8 tiny loaves, and they turned out very nicely.
Mary says
Thanks for pointing out those missing details — the post is updated now! xo
Laila says
Hi so I know this thread is old but Im a novice baker & I've just came across this recipie. I'd love to make it only thing is i just realized i don't have a bread pan. Do you think it would come out strange if i put it in a round or square cake pan instead?
Mary says
Hi Laila! The only thing I'd recommend is that you bake it for less time — it'll probably be much more shallow than it would be in a bread pan, and therefore will cook faster! Keep an eye on it, and when the center is no longer moist (and is spongey, but not wet or mushy to the touch), it's done! Give it the same "toothpick in the center" test, and when it comes out clean it's done. Good luck! Let me know how it goes! xoxo
Chelsee says
Hey Mary!! Just wanted to say hi and that I have made this recipe with and without cardamom and with choc chips and or walnuts... we will put down a loaf of this in a weekend as our ski touring snack!! Hope all is well!!!
Mary says
Hi Chelsee!! So great to hear from you — hope you're well! Glad to hear this is serving you well as a touring snack. xoxoxoxo
Thelma Louise says
The recipe is for: Bourbon Cardamom Banana Bread. But the bourbon is “optional.” Oh my stars. I couldn’t stop laughing. I have been making Bourbon Pecan Pie for years and the bourbon has never been optional! I think people would stop coming over to the house if I left out the bourbon in my Bourbon Pecan Pie. Or at the least call the neurologist in town and tell him that ole Thelma Louise was due for some testing.
Honey, I’m just having a good laugh after a long week. I’m going to try out your recipe this weekend cause I’ve got some naners that are in perfect shape shape for banana bread. I’ll report back and let you know how it goes! I’m sure it’s going to be dee lish!
Thelma Louise