THE RETURN OF THE BANANA

New Zealand Listener, Volume 25, Issue 629, 20 July 1951, Page 22

THE RETURN OF THE BANANA

us sO appreciative of a commodity as its absence. Cer‘tainly we have set a higher value ‘on bananas since we had to do without any for a while; and their return to our markets has brightened up the daily desserts and even the savouries and the breakfast table. First of all let us bottle some bananas, in case we have another shortage. Bottling Bananas Make a syrup in the proportion of 1 cup sugar to 2 cups water, brought steadily to the boil, stirring, and boiled 10 minutes. Cut bananas into firm slices, or split down the centre and then in halves again, and drop into the boiling syrup. Leave them there barely minutes. Bottle in hot sterilised jars, doing one at a time and sealing immediately. If cooked longer they will have a cooked flavour and be discoloured. Banana Toast Five ounces cheese, 1 small teacup banana pulp, 3 oz. butter, 1 egg yolk, some chopped parsley and some rounds of bread. Toast the bread, spread with butter and keep hot. Grate the cheese finely and peel and mash up sufficient bananas to make the pulp. Melt an ounce of butter in a saucepan, add the grated cheese and the banana pulp, and stir over a low heat until creamy. Draw away from fire, and stir in the egg yolk, Cook gently for a few minutes, season with a little mixed mustard, pepper and salt, spread the mixture generously on the buttered toast, and garnish with finely chopped parsley. Baked Bananas Six bananas, 1 egg slightly beaten, 1% cups crushed granose biscuits, 2 tablespoons milk, 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Peel bananas, and cut in half lengthwise. Dip in a mixture of the egg and milk, and roll in crushed granose until well coated, Place in greased dish. Pour the lemon juice over. Bake in moderate oven till tender. Or cut peeled ripe bananas in half lengthwise, arrange in a _ buttered casserole and squeeze lemon juice over them. Let stand about 20 minutes. Then pour over them the following sauce and bake in a 350 degrees oven (about regulo 4) approximately 25 minutes. Sauce: Beat 2 egg yolks, add 4 tablespoons sugar and beat again. Add 4 tablespoons sherry, 2 egg whites well beaten, 1 cupful whipped cream and grated rind of 2 lemons. The sauce should’ cover the bananas. Unsweetened condensed milk may be used for cream. Banana Blancmange Make a cornflour blancmange in the ordinary way, flavouring it with grated lemon rind. Then, just before pouring it into the wetted mould, stir in. some thinly sliced bananas, and leave it to set. Banana Pastry Six ounces flour, 344 oz. butter, % teaspoon baking powder, pinch of salt, 1 oz. castor sugar, 1 mashed banana and a very small egg yolk (or half an egg T is said that nothing makes

yolk). Sift all dry ingredients into a bowl, and rub butter in lightly with finger tips. Work in banana, well mashed, and mix to a pliable dough with yolk of the egg. Banana Cream Two cupfuls mashed banana pulp, 1%4 cups milk, 3 tablespoons orange juice, 3 tablespoons honey and a pinch of salt, 2 dessertspoons (44 oz.) gelatine dissolved in 4% cup hot water. Mash bananas to smooth, creamy consistency, and add milk, orange-juice, honey and salt. Blend thoroughly. Then stir in gelatine dissolved in the hot water. Mix. Pour into wetted mould to set. Turn out on pretty dish and garnish with whipped cream lightly sprinkled with nutmeg. Banana and Ginger Cake Beat 1 cup sugar and scant 42 cup butter to a cream. Add 1 egg, and beat well. Then add % cup milk and 1 table-

spoon black treacle -slightly warmed. Mix together 142 cups flour, 1 heaped teaspoon ground ginger, and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Add to other mixture. Mix well, divide and bake in two sandwich tins in moderate oven about % hour. Fill and ice with this filling: 3 mashed bananas, 1 large tablespoon butter, 42 cup sugar, 2 well-beaten eggs, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Put into small saucepan and stir over gentle heat until thick. When cold, use half filling to join sponge and add icing sugar to other half, so that it will spread nicely on top, and sprinkle with finely-chopped preserved ginger. Banana Cake Two tablespoons butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1144 cups flour, 2-3 mashed bananas (according to size) 1 teaspoon beking powder, and the same quantity of baking soda in 2 tablespoons milk. Cream butter and sugar, add mashed bananas and well-beaten egg. Next add the flour sifted with baking powder, and lastly the soda dissolved in the milk. Bake about 1% hour in moderate oven, ice with vanilla or banana-flavoured icing, and decorate with walnuts. Banana Caramel Pudding One tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 cup milk, 4 ripe bananas. Extra sugar and squeeze of lemon. Cream butter, add sugar, add egg, flour, and baking powder. Mix to

stiff dough. Roll out thinly. Mash bananas, sprinkle with sugar and lemon juice. and spread over pastry. Roll up. Place in piedish, pour over 1 cup boiling milk. Bake in moderate oven about 20 minutes, by which time milk should be absorbed and pudding light and brown. Serve with whipped cream.