Last Thanksgiving, I forgot to buy butter. I had shortening, but I didn’t have enough. So I half-melted margarine and threw in a dollop of peanut butter. It was a travesty, but a delicious one. The peanut butter gave it a nutty richness that made my aunt ask for the recipe. I lied and said it was intentional.
One more trick: avocado
Yes, avocado. Use half a ripe avocado, mashed, to replace shortening. It turns your banana bread a weird shade of green, but the flavor disappears into the banana. It’s like hiding a vegetable in a toddler’s mac and cheese—sneaky and kind of genius. You’ll need to add an extra tablespoon of sugar to balance any bitterness.
