We can hopefully all agree that homemade gifts quelques- some of the best. When you are good in the kitchen, nothing feels better than to spread love and give something delicious that you miss am I right? I give people baked goods throughout the year, but this recipe is very special. It is so compact, so perfectly portioned and packaged who distribute them made me dizzy. Why have I never thought of cooking something in a pot before ?? It works so well and is so damn cute.
For this I made my favorite Best Banana Bread (never.) I added chocolate chips and it was to die. As I mentioned in the notes section of the recipe, putting the lid on the jar right out of the oven creates a vapor affects that makes this even more humid than normal bread. We had a pot 3 days after baking and it was perfection. (If you are wondering- just return the jar upside down and the bread right out of slides. The slightly warming makes it even easier!)
cooking inside the pot is easier than I had imagined. you first of course have to grease inside the pots, then your dough is about 2/3 in- seemed to work. Do not make the mistake of trying to cook these on a baking sheet so they will cook evenly when placed directly on the oven rack. (What seemed difficult, but is not so bad). They cook perfectly even and lids effectively sealed self-seal air keeping the bread and can last up to a week. Some pretty ribbon, label, and a square of fabric and you have a gift lovely home!
(These labels came from Minted as a free gift with my Christmas cards. So cute I may need to order more!)
- 2 sticks (1 cup) melted butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- 4 eggs
- 1 extract tablespoon vanilla
- 3 cups all purpose
- 2 teaspoons of baking soda
- salt 1 teaspoon
- 1 cup sour cream, Greek yogurt or buttermilk
- 6 ripe bananas, mashed (I usually use medium large)
- chocolate chips 1 cup (I like mini)
- Preheat oven to 325F. Grease or spray 8 jars wide-mouth pint, set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, and sugars. Add eggs one and a time and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
- Sprinkle the flour, baking soda and salt in the butter mixture and stir to mix until just combined.
- Fold in bananas and sour cream / yogurt / buttermilk. Fold in chocolate chips.
- dough carefully spoon into jars, filling about ⅔ of the way. Wipe jar rim where a batter spilled / splashed.
- Place the pots directly in the oven, carefully arranging them on a middle rack. Meanwhile sterilize the jars lids in boiling water and set aside.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Place the lids on the jars right out of the oven about 10 minutes, you should hear a "pop" and they are sealed. Pain in the pot will last up to a week.