Going bananas in Tennessee

By Katherine

Oh caramel how it makes a dessert so much more unhealthy

When I check into a hotel, I make a beeline for the coffee stash and dump the entire contents of the bin in my luggage, even the fake creamer. One never knows when fake creamer will come in handy. Invariably, a guest will ask for decaf after a dinner party and we cobble together a few hotel single servings to make a pot. What? We already have everyday espresso, the good espresso, everyday coffee and the special occasion coffee in our house, we’re supposed to have decaf on hand too? Besides, this is one of the many loveable qualities I picked up from my mother.

I recently drove over to Tennessee and met my parents and one of my younger sisters at a hotel. It was late when I arrived, but I still swiped the coffee before I went to bed. The next morning, mom knocked on my door and handed me a bag filled with the coffee from her room. Before breakfast, she handed me a few bananas from the buffet downstairs. Afterward mom made sure I got another banana, and my sister Rachel did too — for me. The pilfered banana count kept rising; mom handed me two more as we went to the car. To make matters worse she’d made sure everyone grabbed a breakfast grab bag on the way out. Now I like fruit as much as the next gal, but I had seven browning bananas, three slightly bruised apples and a six-hour drive in front of me. I was returning home to a husband who hates bananas. Can. Not. Stand. Them. Neither of us can stand to waste food, so I made a quick batch of banana bread and squirreled the apples away for a cake. Now if only my car would stop smelling like overripe fruit.

Banana Bread

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (3-4 depending on the size)
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce
• 1 tbsp rum

Grease a loaf pan and set aside. In a large bowl, mix flours, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Make a well in the center. In a smaller bowl, combine bananas, brown sugar and egg. Stir to combine. Slowly stir in melted butter. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just combined. Add pecans and rum and drizzle over the caramel sauce and give another quick stir to combine. Pour into the loaf pan. The batter will be thick. Cook for about 50-60 minutes at 350. Drizzle with additional caramel sauce if desired. Serve warm with hotel decaf.

Note: This post is dedicated to Kristy over at Eat, Play, Love and her endless pursuit of the perfect banana bread.