She just couldn't wait...

When I came home today, I used whatever leftover momentum I had to make banana chocolate chip bars. I've been wanting to cream butter for the last few days. I know, it must sound funny, but I develop little food goals I want to accomplish over the course of a week. This week it was:

1. cream butter
2. use the really ripe bananas that are turning black

It took me a while to figure out what, exactly, I wanted to do with these goals. Banana bread just seemed so... boring. I consulted King Arthur. The answer was right in front of me, but I resisted. I had only softened 1 stick of butter, not 1 1/2 as called for by their banana chocolate chip bars. I also didn't have spelt flour (and baking in Oberlin's Fairchild may have turned me off to the flour that seems impossible to make rise). So I adapted. It was...Delicious. Go ahead, try it.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bars

1 stick butter, softened
1 1/4 c brown sugar, packed
4 mashed very ripe bananas
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 t vanilla
dash nutmeg
3/4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 egg
1 1/4 c whole wheat flour
2 handfuls chocolate chips
2 handfuls walnuts, chopped (or hammered in double plastic bags)

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add bananas, mix. Add lemon juice, mix. Add vanilla, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, cinnamon. Mix. Add egg, mix. Add flour, mix well. Pour and spread in an oil-sprayed 9x13 pan. Let sit 10-15 min while mixture thickens. Bake at 350, 35 minutes. Cool, and eat, but really let cool first, unlike my mother who just couldn't wait.