Pan de Plátano Maduro (Ripe Plantain Bread)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup mashed ripe (black skin) plantain (two medium size plantains)
  • 4 tbsps sweet cream butter (salted)
  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 4 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder.
These are NOT rotten, they are PERFECTLY RIPE plantains. Black Banana = Bad, Black Plantain = SWEET!
These are NOT rotten, they are PERFECTLY RIPE plantains. Black Banana = Bad, Black Plantain = SWEET!

Directions:

Set the butter out to soften about 2 hours before you start.

Slice off the ends of the plantain. Use a sharp knife to slit the skin from end to end. Peel the skin sideways in one piece (like you are unwrapping it). Slice into 1/2″ slices and cook in boiling salted (2 tsps) water over medium-high heat, until a fork inserts easily all the way through a slice (maybe 10 minutes or so). Remove the slices with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Mash with a fork, or a potato masher, leaving some texture to the mash.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla thoroughly with a mixer (medium speed).

With a pastry cutter or 2 forks, cut the plantain mash into the other dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and baking powder). It should result in a crumbly dough. Add the plantain mixture to the liquid ingredients and mix moderately with the mixer.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour the mixture into a greased and floured 9″x5″x3″ non-stick loaf pan. Bake for approximately 1 hour. Check with a wooden toothpick in the center of the loaf. When it comes out clean, the bread is done. If you have an instant read thermometer (like a Thermapen), look for 200ºF in the middle of the loaf.

The Thermapen
The Thermapen

Set the pan on a cooling rack and let it cool for 15 minutes. Place the cooling rack on top of the loaf pan, hold the pan against the rack and invert them so the loaf comes out of the pan onto the cooling rack. If you buttered/floured the pan properly, the loaf should come right out.

Let it cool completely before slicing. Tastes great, if you want a little more decadence, you can add about 1/4 cup of crushed/chopped walnuts, pecans or cashews to the batter.

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