I am so excited about a cookbook that my mother and father-in-law have passed on to me! It is called Fredericksburg Home Kitchen Cook Book and it was originally published in 1916. The last time it was revised and enlarged was in 1957. The book is full of what I am dubbing “Traditionally Tasty” recipes. I am looking forward to making as many as I can and tweaking some of them too. One of the truly fascinating things I have discovered is the wording of the old recipes. I am having to do quite a bit of interpreting as I go along. Since the World is trying to #stayathome at this time, this book is going to help me fill my time and soothe my soul. Right now so many people are in their kitchens cooking to stay busy and one recipe I have been seeing a lot of is Banana Nut Bread. So, here is the recipe I found in this book with an added twist.
1916 Banana Nut Bread
Yield = 1 Loaf
Ingredients:
- ½ cup Crisco shortening
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 ripe bananas (mashed)
- ½ cup pecans (the original called it nutmeats)
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. Baking soda
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare and loaf pan by spraying it with baking spray and dusting it with flour. In a large mixing bowl combine the shortening, sugar, eggs, and bananas. Sift the flour and baking soda into the bowl and continue to mix. Once incorporated, fold in the pecans. The mixture will be thick. This is a loaf of bread, not a cake. Place into the loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until the center springs back when touched.
The Twist:
Mix together 4 TBS melted butter, 1 tsp cinnamon, and ½ cup of granulated sugar. Spread over the warm loaf and then broil on low for 3 minutes to crisp the top.
Serve warm with melted butter!
Enjoy!
Maurie Kay