languish no more!

It's inevitable that even the most loyal banana-eater will end up with one or two of the suckers that're just too mushy to eat. You know what I mean--they practically turn to liquid in your hand. When that happens, I usually turn to banana bread (as evidenced here and here...and here and here)(good grief). This time, however, I went for something far more daring...


...banana bars.

I know what you're thinking--"Someone get a straight jacket for that gal--she's out of control!" Although I may, in fact, need a straight jacket, it's probably not because I've departed from trusty ol' banana bread. :)


I first spotted these bars on Melanie's all-around fabulous and reliable blog My Kitchen Cafe. I remember thinking at the time that I'd never before seen such a moist and fluffy banana concoction, and I was right. The moistness of this cake is almost unreal. Granted, I used two heaping cups of banana, but I suspect that the tender, melt-in-your-mouth quality would be present regardless.


Yes, smothering the bars with my almond butter ice cream was definitely a good idea.

I sprinkled some leftover granola across the unbaked bars--I thought it would give a nice contrasting texture (and would get rid of said leftover granola). I also added some ginger to the batter, which, in retrospect, was a regrettable decision. Why, you ask? The plain and simple truth is that ginger can't hold a candle to my beloved cinnamon.


The last change I made was to top the bars with an easy glaze (powdered sugar, water, vanilla, and a bit more ginger), and it was...pretty nice. The moral of this story is that if I was in love with ginger, these bars would be perfection. Meh, I guess that just gives me a reason to make them again.

The-Moistness-Knows-No-End Banana Bars
(adapted from this recipe)

½ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
2 cups mashed bananas
1 cup granola

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 10x15-inch jellyroll pan or one 9x13-inch pan and an additional 8x8-inch pan. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the sour cream, vanilla, and mashed bananas. Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl; stir into the batter. Spread evenly into the prepared pan(s) and sprinkle granola across the top of the batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.