another rainy day

Another Rainy Day...

Decembers as usual, brings in the heavy dark clouds. Like Sheep astray, they fill the skies and release their loads onto the land below. It has been pouring the entire day. Despite the grayness of the skies, i relish in its shade, its cover. A brilliant alternative to the merciless sun we receieve here all year round on our sunny island. On the contrary, it is common knowledge tt any londoner wld be driven round the bend by the long days of gray skies and moody weather.

okay, apparently, i have a new calling. neh.. nothing big or phenomenal as of yet but just something to keep me occupied for a few hours. and then it occured to me.. yesh! peabody's virtual house warming party! how cld it have slipped my mind for so long? a house filled with virtual guests and a potluck party... i cldn't be more thrilled with the idea. woots! i've got an occasion to bake for!.. *hehe*

Popped by the kitchen a few moments ago and saw a few spotted bananas left in the pantry. haha. u see gears churning in my head don't you. hence armed up practically nothing else to do. I decided to try out a new recipe for banana cake. Though very satisfied with my current one, there was no harm in trying out a new one too see how a little alterations in proportions of ingredients cld go a long way in determining the outcome. moreover it wld be a wonderful addition to the potluck party. small party cakes, easy to carry around and munch on! and since its an incredibly moist cake, tt wld eliminate the possibility of having crumbs strewned all over ur bedroom floors as guests travel from room to room, exploring every nook and cranny.
Bananas to me are somewhat of a forbidden fruit. One that i would prefer not to eat fresh out of its skin. which brings back memories of the huge pile of banana skins i saw chucked on the floor during the marathon. being a quick source of energy, organisers provided combs and combs of this lovely yellow fruit to exhausted runners in search of a quick boost. I hoped it work, i wld never knoe. coz no way i'm putting tt banana in my mouth. even when strewned all over the ground, i found the fruit very intimidating. Perhaps becoz they wld prove to be fatal shoul i slip on one of them... heh. but tts another point altogether.

truth is i had never enjoyed banana in its natural form, raw. However, i had a great affinity for other products of bananas. Take banana chips (vietnam guys will know how much i adore munching on these), banana ice-cream and of course banana cake! strange but true. i can't take my hands of bananas in its alter-ego form!

Hence with the grey skies forging ahead, i took a lovely stroll in the rain to cold storage to get my hands on some core ingredients before settling on baking. decided to use my mini crown silicon tray as i thought the shapes of the cakes wld be sufficient enough to provided the finishing touches on the lovely moist cake; sans frosting of any sort. Light and yet comforting enough for a rainy day such as this one.


oh yes, forgot to mention tt cold storage was teeming with life, with christmas songs playing continously. the xmas mood inevitably seeps in. within seconds of walking along the aisles stocked high with turkey, cranberry sauces, assorted nuts and chocolately delights. i was officially infected.

After the serious aroma therapy session during the 25 mins of bake time. the little ones popped easily out of their pans and with just a layer of apricot jam brushed on their surface, these were ready to go... and how cld i forget about the little festive touch. Reminder: its gonna be Christmas very very soon! hehe. pity i won't be ard to celebrate it here in Singapore
i love parties! *beaming*... just imagine the spread of glorious entrees, drinks and desserts.. yummy yummy in my tummy.

the beautiful home of peabody... *swoons*

Recipe for Mini Banana Cakes

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

3/4 cups sour cream

1 1/3 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt
  3. Using the mixer, beat the butter and sugar till light and fluffy
  4. Add eggs in and beat till incorporated
  5. Mix in sour cream, bananas and lemon juice
  6. Fold in the flour and blend.
  7. Pour into silicon moulds and bake for about 30mins
  8. Cool on rack for 10mins and turn the little cakes out
  9. Serve plain or with cream cheese frosting and a sprinkling of almonds

recipe adapted from epicurious

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