Guest: The Way Banana Crumbles

184 Comments / 4 minutes of reading

I am delighted to welcome my dear friend Dolly @ koolkosherkitchen back here again as a Guest.  Please friends, you just have to check out her blog and follow her, you will not be disappointed.
Dolly
You know “the way the cookie crumbles”: the expression is “used to underline a failure of an action, or disappointment in reaching an undesired result, with the additional meaning that the result was not an unexpected one (www.urbandictionary.com). It seems that the phrase was coined by a great American actor Jack Lemmon (www.phrases.org.uk).

YouTube video

Quite an unexpected turn of events, wouldn’t you think? And where would you expect the unexpected if not in Salem, Massachusetts, especially in October? All decked out for Halloween, adorable little witches and ghosts running around (why wait for one night when fun events are happening every day!), and special exhibitions in local museums – what more could one desire?
collage-2017-10-29
Tucked away on 10 Blaney street, close to Salem ferry, is a fascinating place hardly anyone knows about, Herb Mackey’s Metal Sculpture Yard. Dinosaurs and robots, and all kinds of whimsical creatures made of scrap metal (old plumbing, rusty machine parts, gears, and other mysterious things I can’t even name) greet you as you walk in. You never see Mr. Mackey – at least no one I know has been able to! – but some of the smaller masterpieces bear price tags that are simply laughable, like maybe $20 or $30 for a sculpture that definitely belongs in a museum. If you want to purchase one, simply put your cash (“pictures of dead presidents”) through a mail slot in the door. Oh, and in case you get thirsty, Mr. Mackey stocks a tiny refrigerator with water bottles, $1 each, to be deposited in the same mail slot. He does have a funky sense of humor: the plaque on the door reads “On this site in 1897 nothing happened.” Having seen plaques on almost every building in Salem announcing that something important happened there, you appreciate the subtle barb.

Banana Crumble 1 this For later use

Following Mr. Mackey’s example, I thought to tinker with some scraps of ingredients and see what happens. I had a couple of bananas in the freezer, waiting for their chance to be useful. I also had a handful of raw sunflower seeds, so I decided to introduced them to bananas, add some flour (I used a combination of spelt and whole wheat, but gluten-free flour could be substituted), my dairy-free prostokvasha (clabbered milk, for recipe click here), brown sugar, and a couple of eggs. I would’ve used aquafaba, to make it vegan, but I ran out of it. Feel free to substitute, though. And, of course, it’s not a dessert, if it’s not chocolate, so cocoa powder was an essential part of this experiment.
Banana Crumble 2
As I felt particularly pressed for time (read LAZY), I simply dumped all this stuff into the bread machine, in the usual order – liquid ingredients first, followed by dry ones – and pressed the “Cake” button. To a naked eye, it seemed that there was a disproportionate volume of liquid to only a cup and a half of flour. Oh well, perhaps I’d have a really moist cake?
Laughing banana
What emerged from my bread machine at the sound of “Ready” beep, was a nice crust with unbaked slushy middle. That’s the way banana crumbles sometimes! But am I going to let some bananas defeat me? No way! I placed the crust on the bottom of a loaf pan and crumbled everything else on top. Then I sent it to the oven until toothpick-test ready.
Banana Crumble 3
You can skip the bread machine part, Beautiful People, and you can do what Mr. Mackey does with his scrap metal: tinker with stuff and expect the unexpected. I have never made this before and didn’t even know it existed, but here it is, super moist, chocolaty and delicious Banana Crumble!
Ingredients:
3/4 cup spelt flour
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour (gluten-free flour could be substituted for both)
2 ripe bananas, mashed up
1/2 cup prostokvasha (clabbered milk) or any dairy free yogurt
1/2 cup aquafaba or 2 eggs, whisked
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds or any crushed nuts or seeds of your choice
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
A pinch of salt
Method:
Preheat oven to 425 F. Lightly mist baking pan (alternatively, loaf pan) with oil.
Combine wet ingredients, gradually add dry ingredients, mix gently but thoroughly.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until a crust forms on the bottom and sides, but the middle remains wet.
Empty into a bowl. Use thin pieces of crust to line bottom of oiled baking (loaf) pan. Crumble remainder of underbaked batter, pour into pan.
Reduce temperature to 350 F. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Prepared, tried and tested by Dolly @ koolkosherkitchen
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184 thoughts on “Guest: The Way Banana Crumbles”

  1. duskalert

    Oh I’ve just found your blog and you’re Amazing and I love your love for food and cooking.My mother also loves cooking and she loves to bake. She’s the best cook.
    I have followed you so that I won’t miss the recipes in future🌼
    .Actually I’m a beginner so plz follow me back so that I that I have a constructive feedback in future.Thanku in advance.💞
    https://jannat007.wordpress.com

    Reply
  2. Cooking For The Time Challenged

    I love the presentation! I am a cat person after all. And, especially this time of year, New England is so beautiful.

    Reply
        1. cookandenjoyrecipes

          Thanks for visiting and all your lovely comments. Would you like to also participate in this Guest series? Please let me know as it will be so awesome to have more Guests telling and sharing their stories.

          Reply
            1. cookandenjoyrecipes

              Carol see even Funky 😻 want you to share a post. Please let me know as it will be awesome ✍️ I await your favorable ✍️Response 🌹

              Reply
            1. koolkosherkitchen

              Nothing much, Carol, I assure you! Esme is awesome in many ways, but above all, she is so very helpful! Just write your regular post, whenever you write it, and send it to her together with pictures. She’ll do the rest and publish it on her blog, then you reblog it on yours. This way you get wide exposure in both places, so to speak.

              Reply
                  1. Cooking For The Time Challenged

                    As I shared in my last post, they are doing much better. Raizel has started a new school (finally!) I started giving her magnesium and her symptoms definitely diminished! Even she notices. Such a relief! Yaffa is her usual sunny self. They just had their birthday and Yaffa had been planning what she wanted for months! She is such a ham, a kosher one, of course. She knows how much I love cats. She says, “Mommy is a cat person.” 😍 how are you?

                    Reply
                    1. koolkosherkitchen

                      Does that mean that I missed your last post? Oy vey!
                      I am glad the girls are doing well – that’s great news, especially with regards to Raizel! This poor child has been trough so much!
                      I am well, B”H, having a busy and exciting semester.
                      Have a great Shabbos!

                    5. Cooking For The Time Challenged

                      We shall have to elevate Dolly to Funky & Cool Cat since she is a funky cat supreme.😉🐈

            1. koolkosherkitchen

              Dear Carol, please stop hyperventilating. There is no theme; it’s like this: when you are ready to write your next post, instead of posting it on your blog, send it to Esme with attached images. She’ll publish it on her blog, giving you full credit and a lovely introduction, because she is such a lovely person, and then you reblog it on your own site.
              Right, Esme?

              Reply
            2. cookandenjoyrecipes

              You can do ANY post that you would have done on your own blog, so any niche, not only food related posts accepted

              Reply
    2. koolkosherkitchen

      Thank you so much for your comment! It is beautiful, and the weather was like a gift from Above. My son even took me sailing!

      Reply
        2. cookandenjoyrecipes

          Fall to me is the most beautiful season. I cannot get enough of this time of the year. The colors so vibrant at the moment.

          Reply
    3. cookandenjoyrecipes

      Hi Carol. Not sure if I have answered your and Dolly’s questions. Dolly what you said is perfectly correct. Carol, you just do a post as if on your very own blog, but instead, email it to me with all the images, social media links etc. etc. and I will post it on my blog with FULL credit to you and then you can go share happy once I have published it. Let me know if you need more information from my end. Hope to hear from you when you have a moment.

      Reply
      1. Cooking For The Time Challenged

        Hi! I think it sounds like a plan. I would be happy to write a guest post. I have to figure out what to write. I am a fly by the skin of my teeth blogger.
        Sorry for not getting back to you soon. I am happy to say I had a “girls getaway.” It was lots of fun.

        Reply
        1. cookandenjoyrecipes

          Glad you had a ‘girls getaway’ and that you enjoyed it. I am sure well deserved.
          WOW WOW WOW I am so happy to get the news that you will Guest post with TRH. Just keep flying by the skin of your teeth as I am positive it will be an awesome and fantastic post. Once ready just email it to me and we will work together to get it up and published. Looking forward to this collaboration.

          Reply
          2. koolkosherkitchen

            Girls getaway sounds like fun and also something that you truly needed, Carol! I am so glad you had a good time!

            Reply
  3. Osyth

    I love Salem …. not so much for the Witches as for the really relaxed and inclusive vibe that it has. Mr Mackey clearly epitomizes this state of mind and I must make sure I visit the next time I go because – you guessed it, I had NO idea he was there despite visiting many times whilst living in MA. I might even buy a sculpture. Why not? But might is not an option with this gorgeous banana—chocolate confection. This is a serious must and since I don’t have a bread machine here and I only have one of those multifunction little singing, dancing microwave combi ovens I will certainly don my lab coat and dance to an experimental tune. Fun times! 💃

    Reply
    2. koolkosherkitchen

      I love Salem mostly for fantastic antique and craft stores, but those little kiddies running around in costumes were simply precious!
      Mr Mackey is certainly one of a kind, even among the New England characters, each of whom is unique in his own way. I jumbled all my photos into one collage because I wanted to convey the feeling of a yard crowded with what at first looks like a dumping ground for scrap metal until a robot peeks out from a bush, or a dragon is perched on a wall… It is an amazing little place, the best kept Salem secret.
      I also love the Peabody Essex museum – have you seen the newly built addition? Very cleverly integrated with older architectural design. I have not exhausted my “travel impressions” by any means, but meanwhile, have fun experimenting – enjoy!

      Reply
      1. Osyth

        It is a treasure trove for antiquing and foraging – that’s for sure. And also for sure you have discovered the best secret of all. I can’t wait to go back now. I was last at PEM late last year the new construction was not done then. Another brilliant reason to hightale it over to Salem when (when, mind you) I return to US soil. I love experimenting – my husband says part of our connection is that we are both experimentalists though I think his are a little more highbrow than mine!!!!

        Reply
        1. koolkosherkitchen

          It’s the intrepid spirit of experimenting that counts! Ah, so you do make periodic appearances here occasionally?

          Reply
              1. Osyth

                I said several times to my husband whilst there that no-one in their right minds would have settled there and it was only because the Plymouth Brethren were serious outcasts that they considered …. the climate is bonkers!!!!

                Reply
                  1. Osyth

                    Exactement and I am certain they were exhausted and desperate but if they hadn’tve been I’ll bet they’d have searched for Florida a little quicker 😉

                    Reply
  4. Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, MCC, SCAC

    Thanks for hosting the fabulous Dolly again, Esme. I second your encouragement to follow her – it is a must not miss blog, IMHO, even if you don’t cook. She always includes a fascinating bit of history as an introduction to her beautifully presented and photographed recipes, liberally peppered with her unique sense of humor (and more than a little bit of chocolate!). 🙂
    xx,
    mgh
    (Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – ADDandSoMuchMORE dot com)
    ADD/EFD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder
    “It takes a village to educate a world!”

    Reply
    1. koolkosherkitchen

      Ladies, where is that rock I can hide under? Thank you so much, Madelyn, but it’s really way too overwhelming! Come on, I am just having fun in the kitchen! 😻

      Reply
        1. cookandenjoyrecipes

          Madelyn I agree with you. Dolly, just accept with grace all the good comments as you can see I am not the only one handing out these comments, so it has to be true.

          Reply
          1. koolkosherkitchen

            Dearest Esme, did you and Miss Manners go to the same finishing school: “Learn to accept compliments graciously”? I sincerely thank you, and I promise to try!

            Reply
        2. koolkosherkitchen

          To quote that song from Victor-Victoria, “I am what I am” and can be no other, and I truly appreciate the fact that you find it entertaining. I am also sincerely amazed that serious and busy people, such as yourself, find time to read my stuff AND COMMENT!

          Reply
            1. koolkosherkitchen

              You’re right; you write about vitally important topics in a light and amusing, yet solidly educational manner. That makes you a respectable blogger. You provide a service to the community and make a difference with every word you post, while I am just having fun. 😻

              Reply
              1. Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, MCC, SCAC

                NO WAY, Dolly. You are spreading understanding and empathy through your stories – and I think that’s pretty darned important.
                xx,
                mgh

                Reply
                    4. Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, MCC, SCAC

                      SOME husbands. I once had a client who used to hang reminder notes on long hooks from the frame of the door to the kitchen when her ADD husband and son seemed to be “visual reminder blind.” Since they had to duck to get to the fridge sometimes it even worked. 🙂
                      xx,
                      mgh

                    9. Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, MCC, SCAC

                      Yeah – she was pretty proud of herself for coming up with it. I was too.
                      xx,
                      mgh

                    10. koolkosherkitchen

                      And well you should be if you can bring your clients to the point where they look for creative solutions!

                    11. Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, MCC, SCAC

                      I can’t claim any credit for this one (she came up with it on her own) – but part of what I do IS to help clients think through to solution, based on what they’re dealing with and the resources on board. I think of it as “midwifing functionality.” So thanks.
                      xx,
                      mgh

                    12. koolkosherkitchen

                      Great name: “midwifing functionality.” You should take credit for opening solution-based world for your clients and teaching them the concept of creativity.

                    13. Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, MCC, SCAC

                      Thank you, Dolly. I love your description. I’d like to suggest an addendum: “teaching them the concept of *accessing* their creativity to work FOR them rather than taking them off purpose.”
                      My clients tend to be more creative overall than those I coached in the “vanilla” population (no mix-ins, like the ice cream – i.e., neurotypical). Instantaneous associative neural recruitment seems to be a benefit of below average cognitive filters.
                      An essential difference joked about in the ADD Coaching field is that NTs need to be coaches out of the box, ADDers (and others with “alphabet disorders”) need to be reminded that there IS a box. LOL 🙂
                      xx,
                      mgh

                    14. koolkosherkitchen

                      You don’t have to offer addendae; it’s your field and your clientele, and you call it anything you want, but your description is excellent in its precision.
                      As to your joke, some people with “alphabet disorders” resent the very idea of the box, as we both know.
                      Certainly your clients would be more creative! I’ve done quite a bit of research on dual exceptionalities which overwhelmingly indicates higher IQ, gifted-ness, and outstanding abilities in certain areas that are co-morbid with neurodiverse population. The challenge is, of course, channeling all this creativity in the right direction which you seem to be doing very successfully.

                    15. Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, MCC, SCAC

                      Thank you Dolly – brain-based coaching works (and that’s the only kind I do).
                      Re: box — they don’t have to get IN it, but it does help them make better decisions to know where it is, LOL — i.e., being aware of the expectations of others in a charge-neutral manner allows them to address potential objections before they become problems.
                      I have long been aware of the overlaps with giftedness etc. — in fact, according to Thom Brown (Yale), the higher you go on the IQ scale, the greater the incidence of ADD-affect you see on a scan. (NOT to say they are all diagnostic, simply that similar brain activity can be shown – distinct from NT scans). This mirrors patient report of their challenges, btw.
                      xx,
                      mgh

                    16. koolkosherkitchen

                      Dual exceptionalities are manifested most vividly in people with ASD; in fact, in their extreme form we get a Rain Man, or a Mozart.
                      Certainly, brain-based coaching works! Any other coaching is what I call “monkey approach” – monkey see, monkey do! Expecting highly intelligent people to take it seriously without understanding the inner workings of “monkey tricks” is an insult to their brain power.

                    17. Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, MCC, SCAC

                      Obviously I agree totally. In fact, when I explain the neurology to my clients the comment I hear most often is, “You mean this really is a thing?!”
                      xx,
                      mgh

                    18. koolkosherkitchen

                      I love it! Do they believe that they have brains in their heads – is that really a thing? And what do they think that “thing” contains?

                    19. Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, MCC, SCAC

                      I have always thought that they were referring to the fact that they have been discounted a Lazy, Stupid or Crazy for far too long – relieved to finally find another explanation, barely daring to believe it.
                      xx,
                      mgh

                    20. koolkosherkitchen

                      What a difference between kids’ and adults’ perception! You’re right, of course; it just hasn’t occurred to me.

                2. koolkosherkitchen

                  And I thought I was only spreading fake butter on spelt bread… Thank you, Madelyn! (I am practicing to accept compliments graciously) 😻

                  Reply
    2. cookandenjoyrecipes

      It’s always a delight to have my friend Dolly over to share with us her recipes and stories. Then when you add chocolate to the mix, what do one need more ??

      Reply
      2. Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, MCC, SCAC

        Unless she could add the winning lottery numbers, I can’t think of a thing. 🙂
        xx,
        mgh

        Reply
          1. Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, MCC, SCAC

            It would sure beat racing each other to play the numbers (when we’d have to share anyway – LOL)
            xx,
            mgh

            Reply
    3. cookandenjoyrecipes

      Madelyn, I am aware that you’re extremely busy and have a full schedule, but it will be above amazing and awesome if you would honor me with a Guest Post here on TRH. Please let me know if you would be interested. Looking forward hearing from you in due course.

      Reply
      1. Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, MCC, SCAC

        Thank you, Esme. I would be honored, but I can’t say how soon it will be before I can attend to it.
        I do have a bit of an idea of a brain-based topic that might be tangentially food-related – which gives me a good start: mise en place.
        xx,
        mgh

        Reply
        1. cookandenjoyrecipes

          Madelyn, this with be the highest honor to have you as a Guest. No rush from my side. Take your time and when ready drop me a note and we take it from there. Thanks for considering and looking forward to it in due course.

          Reply
              1. Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, MCC, SCAC

                Thanks for the encouragement. I took a few moments yesterday to begin it, but I’ll have to work on it in dribs and drabs, so who knows.
                xx,
                mgh

                Reply
                1. cookandenjoyrecipes

                  I am so happy to read this good news. No rush, as and when you have time, I am happy to wait for this guest post. Thanks in advance

                  Reply
  5. lifelessons

    What fun. My favorite way to cook is to just go with what I have at hand, but I’ve never tried it with baking. Actually, I never bake. You are braaaave..

    Reply
    1. koolkosherkitchen

      Thank you, Judy! I love baking. My grandmother made it a special reward for kids to help with baking, and I am trying to do the same with my grandchildren. Hopefully, they will grow up with the same feeling that I have every time something delicious (and chocolate, most of the time!) comes out of the oven.

      Reply
    3. cookandenjoyrecipes

      Judy, how about you share some of that cooking with us as a Guest here on TRH?? Please let me know if that would be something that would interest you. Thanks in advance

      Reply
  6. koolkosherkitchen

    Reblogged this on koolkosherkitchen and commented:
    It was a great honor for me to be invited as a guest by the most gracious hostess, Esme The Recipe Hunter. Here is my guest post, Beautiful People, and do yourselves a favor – go visit her fabulous blog!

    Reply
  7. koolkosherkitchen

    Dear Esme, as always, I am honored to be a guest on your fabulous blog, and I thank you for featuring my recipe and, of course, for your kind introduction.
    Much love! 😻

    Reply

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