Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Coping by Baking by Kristin Wallace

What a difference a month makes. What a different world we live in now thanks to this awful pandemic that has impacted so many countries. Depending on where you live, you’ve probably been in “lockdown” mode for several weeks. Where I live in Miami it’s been over 3 weeks. Only going out for the store or for walks to get some air. I’ve been freelancing for the past several years so staying home for “work” isn’t new, but now there is so much uncertainty and fear.

In times of stress - and now in times when we can't go anywhere - many are cooking and baking as a release. I pulled out an old chocolate chip cookie recipe. I’m also trying new things. We had some old bananas that were turning brown so I decided to try and make banana bread. Never made it before so I asked around. Then finally went with a classic Betty Crocker recipe, but with a couple of added ingredients from another recipe. 

My Banana Bread + Recipe

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup of sugar
½ cup softened butter
2 eggs
1 ½ cup mashed ripe bananas (3-4)
½ cup of buttermilk
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (added from another recipe)
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (added from another recipe)
Chopped pecans (if you want)
Chocolate chips (if you want)

Directions:

1.     Pre-heat oven to 350
2.     Mash bananas in a separate bowl
3.     Mix flour, baking soda & salt in a bowl
4.     Mix butter and sugar in another bowl
5.    Mix in eggs and blend well
6.     Add in mashed bananas, buttermilk, vanilla, cinnamon & nutmeg. Blend until smooth and creamy.
7.     Slowly add flour mixture a little at a time.
8.   Pour into pans

You can pour the batter into bread pans, but I decided to make muffins. I still had enough batter left over to make a small loaf of bread. I set the timer for 30 minutes, but the muffins baked fast. Took them out around 18-20 minutes. The bread took the full 30 minutes. 

Are you resorting to cooking and baking to cope? What have you tried? Please share!

I hope that you are staying inside and that you are healthy. Please stay safe!

Kristin Wallace is a USA Today Bestselling Author of sweet contemporary and inspirational romance filled with "Love, Laughter, and a Leap of Faith". It's not too late to pick up her holiday box set featuring three Christmas romances (Finding You At Christmas, Falling For You At Christmas, and Loving You At Christmas). Christmas in Shellwater Key is available on Kindle Unlimited so go ahead and scoop it up now. 




3 comments:

  1. The recipe sounds delicious. I love all the spices in it. Thanks.

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  2. Looks like a delicious recipe, Kristin. Thanks.

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  3. Recipe sounds great! If you get bananas when you pick up your grocery order you definitely don't want them to go to waste. BTW-bananas are a great add to pancakes!

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