I am trying to make banana flips that I loved so much as a kid from the late 50's and on. I'm getting closer, but it's just not quite there yet with the filling. What I'm wondering is what happens if I change the proportions of the butter and shortening so it's either all butter or mostly butter. Here is the ingredient list:

2-3/4 cup powder sugar
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup butter flavor shortening
3/4 cup milk
1-1/2 tsp banana extract

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Or if you have a recipe I could try that you think is good that you would be willing to share.

 

I never heard of banana flips, but I would think substituting all butter would make them better. I'm not a fan of butter flavored shortening.
I find some extracts can be a bit overpowering if you use too much. The only extract I'm really fond of is vanilla.

So just did a search and seems most just use regular shortening, not butter flavored, so I'd start there. I use butter and plain shortening for my frostings and find that a good combination.
Perhaps I'd cut down the extract to one teaspoon and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

 

I'm just curious, what is the reason behind using shortening + butter vs. all butter? Is it to just to cut down on cost or does it have to do with texture or ?? Interesting thought to substitute a little vanilla...I love vanilla!

 

Just makes it a little creamier and easier to spread by adding the shortening. If you use all butter, you can just add a little more milk if necessary. Just a teaspoon, or even a few drops at a time.

 

I'd rather use all butter but it's too soft. Melts too easy. With a mixture you can get the firmness you want.

The recipes say use banana extract. Use real mushy bananas instead.
I use them in my banana pound cake.

It's funny.... on the image page of the banana flips is banana Twinkies.

 

I've been thinking about this for a while and this morning decided I would try the suggestions here and maybe a few other things. So to save ingredients, I just scaled back the ingredients to 1/4 batches.

Oh, and it also occurred to me that maybe it was all the preservatives and other chemicals used in the original banana flips that made them so good. Maybe all I really need is an old chemistry set like I had when I was a kid

 

I like the idea of substituting real bananas, but wouldn't know how much. Guess you could experiment. Can't be bad whatever amount you used.
I also remember things tasting really good when I was a kid and then when I try it now, seems different and not as good. You're right in that it's probably ingredients that just don't taste the same.

 

Update:
I made a 1/4 batch using all butter and reduced the extract and added a little vanilla. That's MUCH better! My next experiment will be using real bananas. The trick will be letting them get soft before I lose control and eat them LOL. I love bananas and really like the idea of real bananas

 

That was the reason I brought up the banana Twinkies.
We know there is a boatload of preservatives in them. They've been rumored to last for years.