If you are like me you have more than one banana recipe. I'm not sure how many I really have. I recently found a paperback Toll House Cook Book by Ruth Wakefield. My particular copy was published in 1962 with the original copyright of 1930. Who would have thought I would spend hours researching the information I read in the forward by Ruth Wakefield. The Toll House Inn seems to be as great a mystery as whether the real Jesse James was killed in Kearney, MO as the family claims. (Sorry, we recently visited the James Farm in Kearney and saw where Jesse was first buried before being moved to a cemetery in town. Some one asked about the man in Texas who claimed to be the real Jesse James and whether they were sure about their story. We were told DNA tests were run on the remains in Kearney proving he was Jesse James.)
Anyway, I chose to believe what Ruth wrote in her foreward. No matter what you believe, the story behind the name Toll House was very interesting. Travelers paid a toll to travel the road between Boston and New Bedford, this the name Toll House. I didn't know that.
Before each "chapter", Ruth gives a narriative full of helpful information - information from an experienced cook. I plan to spend some time over the next week or so reading the book and learning from it.
One thing she says (and I didn't do when I made the bread) is all recipes are made with flour that has been sifted before it was measured. I know there is a difference in measuring flour that has been sifted and flour just taken from the package. (I know the package says the flour has been sifted, but there will still be a difference if you sift it again.)
Here is one tip I read that I want to pass on to you now. This is important to me because so many recipes I want to make - many of them Amish - do not specify the size of pan. They will say loaf pan or oblong pan. Ruth says: "If you are in doubt about the size of pan to use for a new recipe, measure with cups of water the number of cups of flour, sugar, and liquid in recipe and check that it totals two-thirds the size of pan." (Pour the water in the pan and see if it fills the pan about 2/3rds full.)
My tip....
I can add to that tip that if you want to use a different size pan than what the recipe calls for - this usually pertains to rectangular baking pans - multiply the dimensions and if they are close, you will know the recipe will work. Example.... recipe calls for a 9 - inch square pan. You have a rectangular baking dish that is 7 x 11 that you would like to use. 9 x 9 = 81 and 7 x 11 = 77. The baked item will be just a little bit thicker (not much though), but will work in the rectangular pan. It shouldn't be too much different, but just check doneness with a toothpick.
I will pass on other tips as I learn them from the cookbook. And even if you have many banana bread recipes, why not try another one. And if you have an hour or two someday with nothing to do, google Toll House Inn and explore the mystery of the Toll House Inn, etc.
TOLL HOUSE BANANA BREAD
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1-3/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup mashed banana
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease one loaf pan, 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 or two mini loaves.
Cream together the shortening and sugar and beat until fluffy.
Add eggs and beat well.
Sift together the flour, soda, salt, and cream of tartar.
Mash banana and measure.
Add flour mixture in small amounts (about 1/3 each)
alternately with the bananas (1/2 each time) to egg mixture.
Beat until smooth after each addition.
Pour batter in one loaf pan or two smaller mini pans.
Bake about an hour for larger loaf and about 45 minutes for mini loaves. Check doneness with a toothpick. Can also check doneness by pressing lightly in the center of the loaf.
Cool briefly on wire rack and then turn out and finish cooling on rack. Wrap in foil. Better the next day.This banana bread has a cakelike texture and flavor and can be served as cake.
If you make the two mini loaves, you can wrap one and freeze it to enjoy another day.
Anyway, I chose to believe what Ruth wrote in her foreward. No matter what you believe, the story behind the name Toll House was very interesting. Travelers paid a toll to travel the road between Boston and New Bedford, this the name Toll House. I didn't know that.
Before each "chapter", Ruth gives a narriative full of helpful information - information from an experienced cook. I plan to spend some time over the next week or so reading the book and learning from it.
One thing she says (and I didn't do when I made the bread) is all recipes are made with flour that has been sifted before it was measured. I know there is a difference in measuring flour that has been sifted and flour just taken from the package. (I know the package says the flour has been sifted, but there will still be a difference if you sift it again.)
Here is one tip I read that I want to pass on to you now. This is important to me because so many recipes I want to make - many of them Amish - do not specify the size of pan. They will say loaf pan or oblong pan. Ruth says: "If you are in doubt about the size of pan to use for a new recipe, measure with cups of water the number of cups of flour, sugar, and liquid in recipe and check that it totals two-thirds the size of pan." (Pour the water in the pan and see if it fills the pan about 2/3rds full.)
My tip....
I can add to that tip that if you want to use a different size pan than what the recipe calls for - this usually pertains to rectangular baking pans - multiply the dimensions and if they are close, you will know the recipe will work. Example.... recipe calls for a 9 - inch square pan. You have a rectangular baking dish that is 7 x 11 that you would like to use. 9 x 9 = 81 and 7 x 11 = 77. The baked item will be just a little bit thicker (not much though), but will work in the rectangular pan. It shouldn't be too much different, but just check doneness with a toothpick.
I will pass on other tips as I learn them from the cookbook. And even if you have many banana bread recipes, why not try another one. And if you have an hour or two someday with nothing to do, google Toll House Inn and explore the mystery of the Toll House Inn, etc.
TOLL HOUSE BANANA BREAD
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1-3/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup mashed banana
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease one loaf pan, 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 or two mini loaves.
Sift together the flour, soda, salt, and cream of tartar.
Mash banana and measure.
If you make the two mini loaves, you can wrap one and freeze it to enjoy another day.
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