The Banana Whisperers & Eggless Banana Pancakes
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| Eggless Banana Pancakes - Bello! |
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single being in possession of a bunch of ripe bananas, must be in want of a banana bread recipe.
Or failing that, a banana pancake recipe.
...We can't all be banana-bready.
...*snicker*
Speaking of being banana-bready, I knew a couple of friends back in residence who had a whole system in place to pin down a banana's ripeness window. I was blown away at the consistency with which they could churn out extra-ripe, sweet and creamy bananas. Banana whisperers, I call them. Every 2 weeks, the kitchen complex of the 2a story would be puffing off aromas of baked banana goodies, and the ovens would be redolent of cinnamon and caramelized brown sugar for the next hours.
And if we happened to be in a particularly heavy exams season, the baking session would be postponed, and bananas that had already reached perfection would simply be frozen until needed. A whole system, I tell you!
Laird Hall's bedrooms were typically all constructed in the same format: a single bed spanning the length of the far wall, a vanity table tripling up as a commode and a night table, a closet, a work desk and, sometimes, a cork bulletin board. At the end of the room, there'd be a window hovering over a radiator. Double-rooms were designed in a similar manner, except that the doubled side looked like a mirror reflection of the single room.
The banana ripening hobby farm was conducted on those window sills, warmed up by radiator heat, and the banana whisperers maintained a strict self-regulating no banana eating policy. As all should know, the first rule of residence is: beware of the hungry Thursday-drunken floormates. No matter how well hidden food may be in the communal kitchen, there's bound to be a random drunk who finds and eats it. So it is a miracle in itself that so many bananas managed to reach and yellow past their peak point, uneaten.
The banana whisperers became a bit of an inner circle celebrity across Laird Hall's floors. Friends and friend of friends would hand them their unripe, green bananas - like I used to do with the Day-Care Couple in every Pokémon game so that they'd raise my Pokémons for me - and come back once their fruit were extra-soft and uniformly covered in brown spots. Alternatively, they could offer their bananas to the greater good (ahem, get your mind out of the gutter) and partake in the banana bread festivities later.
I miss those banana bread days.
Conversely, I, for one, have not cracked the banana code yet. If, by inadvertence, I happen to snatch a precious overripe banana before it is turned into smoothies or thrown to the compost bin, I hold onto it like Gollum.
This also means that I never have enough bananas to make a bread with a decent banana flavor. I have recently found out, however, that pancakes could be damn delicious if we substitute the egg for a banana.
And you know what - it's even minions-approved!
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| Ba-ba-ba. Ba-ba-na-na. |
Eggless Banana Pancakes
Servings:
Ingredients:
1 extra-large overripe banana, mashed (~1/2 cup mashed bananas)
1/2-3/4 cup buttermilk, lukewarm (Substitute: 1/2 cup milk + 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, left standing for 5-10 minutes)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
Preparation:
1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon) together.
2. In a large bowl, whisk all the wet ingredients (mashed banana, buttermilk, vanilla extract, vegetable oil) together until well combined.
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| Mashing bananas |
3. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture in. Whisk until you no longer see large clumps of flour. Small pockets of flour are alright - they will dissipate as the batter cooks. The batter will look like it is foaming up as you whisk. Do not overmix to the point that those bubbles dissipate completely - they are what makes the pancakes fluff up (like Aero says... you gotta feel the bubbles).
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| Banana pancake batter |
4. Verify the batter consistency. Depending on how ripe your banana was, it may or may not be liquid enough. The batter should be semi-pourable. Add more milk if you need to use a spoon to spread it out.
5. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Spoon portions of the batter into the skillet (~1/4-1/2 cup for each pancake), gently spreading it into nice circles.
5. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Spoon portions of the batter into the skillet (~1/4-1/2 cup for each pancake), gently spreading it into nice circles.
6. Cook the pancakes until bubbles appear, about 2-4 minutes. Using a silicone spatula, flip the pancake over and cook until well browned.
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| Pancake-cooking! |
7. Serve warm, and ideally with a liberal drizzle of maple syrup. Nom!
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| Eggless Banana Pancakes - Nom! |
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