Banana Tea Bread (1940) ★★★

Hello! Yes, I am still alive! I'm nearing the end of a 2 week summer vacation, which was spent mostly cleaning and sleeping. I really wanted to make a recipe for the blog, but it's difficult here. Honestly, I've been feeling a little defeated lately because it seems my baked goods never quite work out properly. But I had some ripe bananas (they go moldy within a day in this heat - blech!) and they were literally falling apart, so I made up my mind to make something historical!

The recipe comes from a WWII banana-themed cookbook, which I've used before. This time the source I used said it was published in 1940, while the source I used last time said 1941. Amazon lists one dated 1942. I'm not sure if these are multiple editions or some confusion, but regardless, it is clear this is an early 1940s book.

Original Recipe:

The Verdict:

This recipe comes together pretty quickly and easily. As a note, I don't have a sifter, so I just whisked some flour really well before measuring. The batter is really light and fluffy. I baked it in two thin loaf pans, as I don't have a regular 9x5 or 8x4 pan here. In my little Japanese convection oven it took 40 minutes to cook those thin pans.

I'm giving this 3 stars, but I think its more of a 3.5. The recipe without modifications is sort of blah, but I think even with some vanilla it would really improve. Maybe the use of butter instead of shortening, too. That said, the texture of the bread is nice and soft. I would happily eat this banana bread, but its not going to be my go-to recipe.

Modernized Recipe:

(Adapted from Bananas..how to serve them found at And Everything Else Too)

The original recipe is easy to follow! My only suggestion would be to add in some extra flavor with vanilla, chocolate chips, cinnamon, etc.