Baking Fun

Learn how to bake banana bread (with optional chocolate chips, berries, or nuts) in your own kitchen! Ms. Liat will guide you through each step, show how math and science tie into baking, and share some excellent cookbooks from our library. This program is for all ages, whether you’re a preschooler, tween, or older, but an adult must be present. You will need to provide your own ingredients and kitchen tools, which are listed below. Please register only once per family. If you have more than one child attending, you can list all of their names in the name box.

INGREDIENTS: 

Cooking spray

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 very ripe bananas (medium to large)

• Very ripe means the banana skins should have brown or black speckles. The bananas should be soft.
• If you’re worried that your bananas won’t be “very ripe” on time for the program, here are three ways to help them ripen faster: https://www.allrecipes.com/article/how-to-ripen-bananas-faster 

3/4 cup white granulated sugar

2 large eggs

• If you don’t eat eggs, you can use one of these substitutes: 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (plain, not chunky), OR an egg substitute like Just Egg.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup plain yogurt

• If you prefer, use non-dairy yogurt like almond milk yogurt instead 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

OPTIONAL: ¼ - ½ cup mini chocolate chips or ½ - 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen) or strawberries (diced into small chunks), or other special additions. You might also choose to add ½ teaspoon cinnamon.

OPTIONAL: ¼ - ½ cup chopped walnuts

KITCHEN TOOLS:

Oven

8 ½ by 4 ½ inch metal loaf pan

• If you prefer, you can use metal muffin trays instead. The recipe should make 18-24 muffins. Make sure to have enough baking cups (liners) to put inside the muffin trays, or spray them with cooking spray.

Large mixing bowl

Medium mixing bowl

Small bowl

Microwave-safe bowl and plate to melt the butter (or use a saucepan over the stove)

Knife to cut through the wrapped stick of butter

Whisk

Large fork or potato masher

Large spoon to scoop and/or mix ingredients

Rubber spatula

Knife to level off dry ingredients

Measuring cup and/or measuring scoops: any combination that will let you measure 1/4, 3/4, and 1 cup

Measuring spoons: 1/4 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, and 1 teaspoon

Sandwich bag with zip top (only needed if you’ll be using walnuts)

Oven mitts

Toothpick

Cutting board

OPTIONAL: A cooling rack, hot plates, or other surface to let the pan cool