The banana bread of my childhood was my dear grandma’s crumbly and walnut-laden loaf. I can still taste it now, slathered with the synthetically smooth margarine she always stocked. Being the only banana bread I knew, I really enjoyed it back then. After all, the rare instance of baking anything sweet was exciting, and the idea of transforming soft bananas into a cake-like treat was fascinating to me. As an adult, I don’t tend to crave that style of banana bread (or margarine for that matter), but I still always welcome overripe bananas and embrace their potential for creative reincarnation. <br /> <br />Since bananas are ubiquitous and their ripening always imminent, I’ve played around with many, many banana recipes over the years. No matter the format I’ve made (from cream pie, to milkshakes, to bread steamed in a crock pot), I’ve learned that a heap of spices is always at home with banana: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg — you name it. I’ve also determined that letting the bananas get so ripe they’re almost all black, then freezing them until ready to defrost and use, is central to the moistest crumb for baked goods, in my experience. <br /> <br />This recipe celebrates both of these qualities, incorporating a generous scoop of warm, fragrant ground cardamom into a batter made from bananas that ooze with ripeness. The result is a richly spiced, utterly moist bite — one that’s delightfully contrasted with a crisp, chocolatey shell. Please keep your electric mixer stowed away for this recipe; gentle hand mixing lets the air stay minimal in these temptingly dense little squares. <br />

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