A fantastic 1940s recipe to use up extra bananas

Bananas are a fantastic fruit. Not only do they contain various important vitamins and nutrients (potassium, magnesium, B6, vitamin C, etc) and boast an universally appealing sweet taste, but they can be put to use in a myriad of different recipes.

Sometimes however - especially if, like at our house, you routinely find yourself with several bananas that are threatening to turn overly mushy at any moment - you may find yourself wanting to take a break from the standard banana bread, muffin, smoothie, and cream pie repertoire. When such a mood strikes, one of my favourite ways to use up an abundance of this delicious yellow fruit is to make banana cookies.

A hit with crowds of all ages, banana cookies are (generally) soft, flavourful, and a snap to toss together. They freeze (and defrost) well, in my experience, and can also be a great alternative to chocolate and nut based cookies, if you're cooking for someone with food allergies to such ingredients.

Today's vintage Banana Drop Cookie recipe hails 1941 and employees a handful of fridge and store cupboard staples that most of us have at the ready (much like bananas themselves) all the time. Not only is the recipe itself terrific, but the charmingly adorable illustrations make this page one to print out and smile over time and time again.

 

{Tasty, speedy, and economical, this vintage banana cookie recipe is fun classic that will never go out of style. Image via curly-wurly on Flickr.}

These drop cookies are terrific as is, however you can also jazz them up further by including ingredients such as coconut (which with the banana backdrop instantly gives them a terrific tropical vibe), dried cranberries, blueberries, cherries, mango, or raisins; chocolate chips, banana chips (double banana cookies!), crushed pretzels, or butterscotch chips. You could also drizzle a little vanilla frosting, melted chocolate, or caramel over them once they've cooked and cooled.

So the next time you're wondering what to do with those soon-to-expire bananas and want a change of pace, take a page from the 1940s and whip up a batch of these thoroughly yummy drop cookies.

Scalloped bananas, a unique summertime dessert recipe

✯ Day 222 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

It's usually about this time of the season when the incessant heat of summer starts to almost take on an almost humorous quality. You make a sort of funny peace pact with this ever-present warmth and come to accept - perhaps even embrace it - for what is, aware in the back of your mind, that in the blink of an eye it'll be winter again and as you shovel through another three feet of snow, you'll pine for these roasty-toasty days.

Just as the second half of summer can be (despite the crushing heat) oddly light-hearted - even silly at times - so too do I find this season puts me in the mood to try off-the-wall, sort of kooky, entirely fun recipes. Luckily when dealing with vintage recipes, one does not usually have to look far to find a dish that falls under that heading.

While I'll stop short of grape, celery and beef tongue stuffed aspics, I do think there's something rather intriguing about the sound of banana scallops.

Fear not (unless you like ocean dwelling scallops and bananas together in the same dish), this recipe does not include any seafood. Instead, I believe, the name derives more from the same that finished product takes on.

{Not a million miles off from other fried fruit desserts like apple fritters, these Scalloped Bananas would be a terrific addition to a tropical or tiki themed meal. Click here for a larger version of this intriguing 1940s fried banana recipe. Darling vintage Chiquita Banana ad via curly-whirly on Flickr.}

I haven't made this recipe yet myself, but it's definitely go into "try this file". Years ago there was a great Chinese restaurant in my hometown that served light, crispy breaded and deep-fried bananas and, while not quite the same, I imagine the taste of the two would be quite similar.

If you're in the mood to have some fun this week, too, why serve with these yummy Banana Scallops (perhaps dished up with some French vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate or caramel syrup), they're such to be a conversation starter - and who knows, perhaps become a family favourite!