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Prep time
20 minutes
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Cook time
50 minutes
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makes
an 8 x 8" pan, 36 little squares
Author Notes
This is not a banana bread recipe. But it all started with the banana bread of my childhood: my dear grandma’s crumbly and walnut-laden loaf. I can still taste it now, slathered with the synthetically smooth margarine she always stocked. Being the only banana bread I knew, I really enjoyed it back then. After all, the rare instance of baking anything sweet was exciting, and the idea of transforming soft bananas into a cake-like treat was fascinating to me. As an adult, I don’t tend to crave that style of banana bread (or margarine for that matter), but I still always welcome overripe bananas and embrace their potential for creative reincarnation.
Since bananas are ubiquitous and their ripening always imminent, I’ve played around with many, many banana recipes over the years. No matter the format I’ve made (from cream pie, to milkshakes, to bread steamed in a crock pot), I’ve learned that a heap of spices is always at home with banana: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg — you name it. I’ve also determined that letting the bananas get so ripe they’re almost all brown, then freezing them until ready to defrost and use, is central to the moistest crumb for baked goods, in my experience.
This recipe celebrates both of these qualities, incorporating a generous scoop of warm, fragrant ground cardamom into a batter made from bananas that ooze with ripeness. The result is a richly spiced, utterly moist snacking bite — one that’s delightfully contrasted with a crisp, chocolatey shell (though the glaze is entirely optional).
Please keep your electric mixer stowed away for this recipe; gentle hand mixing lets the air stay minimal in these temptingly dense little squares.
This recipe first appeared on my web site, buttersugarflowers.com. —ButterSugarFlowers
Ingredients
- For the banana batter
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3 medium extremely ripe bananas, peeled and mashed (1 cup or 1 scant cup once mashed)
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2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
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1/2 cup melted butter or coconut oil
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2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
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3 egg yolks
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1/2 cup flour
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3/4 teaspoon baking soda
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1 tablespoon ground cardamom
- For the optional cocoa glaze
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1.25 cups powdered sugar
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1/3 cup cocoa powder
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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1 teaspoon vanilla
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2-3 tablespoons water
Directions
- For the banana batter
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Grease sides and bottom of an 8 x 8″ square baking pan. Line the bottom with parchment. Set aside. Preheat oven to 325 F.
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Smash the ripe bananas well with a fork (this should be quite easy if your bananas are the proper ripeness); a few small lumps are fine, as are juices. You should have a scant cup to a full cup of mashed banana; set aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and butter or coconut oil until smooth and lump free. Stir in the vanilla. Add egg yolks one at a time, gently whisking each one until incorporated. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and cardamom over the butter mixture. Gently stir, trying not to incorporate air, until even and no traces of flour remain. Gently fold in the mashed banana until evenly dispersed. Spread batter evenly into lined pan.
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Cover top of pan with a piece of foil, poking a hole in its center to prevent sogginess. Bake for a total of about 40 minutes, stopping and rotating pan at the 20 minute mark. When nearing 40 minutes total, carefully lift foil (the steam is quite hot). Baking is complete when batter no longer moves or looks wet, and a toothpick inserted in the center tests clean. Not to worry if the surface looks uneven. Remove from oven and discard foil. Let pan cool completely, then transfer pan to refrigerator to chill.
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When ready to slice, loosen sides of chilled pan with a knife, then invert onto a cutting board and remove parchment. Leave upside down, smooth side up for cutting and glazing. If clean-cut squares are desired, trim any uneven edges to make straight lines. (The trimmings are crisp and caramelized: so delicious!) With a sharp knife, divide square into equal quadrants, then slice each quarter into nine equal squares, making 36 pieces total. Keep squares cool for the glazing process. While the squares are really wonderful plain, I opt for a crisp, sweet cocoa glaze (melted chocolate works well, too).
- For the optional cocoa glaze
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Place the cool banana squares on a wire rack over a cookie sheet or platter. Sift together first three ingredients in a bowl.
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Whisk in vanilla and 2 tablespoons water. If too thick, add more water very gradually, whisking well after each addition. Lean toward thickness; if too watery, the glaze will soak into the squares and will not dry or get crisp.
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Spoon the glaze over the squares, about a teaspoon each. (If desired, decorate with sprinkles as shown, or finely chopped nuts, while glaze is still wet.) Let sit at room temperature until glaze is dry to the touch. Keep cool.
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