ROSSFORD — Brenna Reynolds’ Banana Bread with Crumble started out as a basic bread, but evolved into a treat bursting with sweetness — and topped off with even more crunchy sugar.

“My favorite reason to make it is ‘just because.’ It’s an expression of my love,” Reynolds said of her banana bread. “Bananas and oats just go together well. I love the crunchy crumble, with the richness of the banana bread.”

The recipe has evolved.

Reynolds said that a crumble on top of a banana bread is unusual.

“I love a crumble. That’s what it’s all about. It has nothing to do with logic or reason. A crumble is just one of my favorite things, with that crunchy, buttery taste. So I intentionally use dark brown sugar in the banana bread and light brown sugar for the crumble,” Reynolds said.

The current recipe evolved during the pandemic.

“Of course, like everyone was saying it during the pandemic, but I was actually making banana bread. I started off by Googling a recipe. Then I added a banana, and then the vanilla and cinnamon, so it’s definitely changed,” Reynolds said.

It can also be adjusted to anyone’s taste and texture.

“Obviously, five bananas is a lot of bananas. You could probably go with four, because bananas are similar to egg. They hold things together, so you can adjust it, as needed.”

She said that it’s now more of a spice bread, which is great with coffee in the morning.

“The secret is cooking the bananas, because I want my banana bread now,” Reynolds said with some real emphasis.

She gets very excited when talking about her baking.

Most people wait until they have overripe bananas, but she bakes them in the oven. The trick is to hold the piping hot banana by the stem, then scrape it out with a fork.

She said that her work friends also enjoy her banana bread.

Reynold’s is a member of the Rossford Council, but also has a day job working as a suicide prevention consultant and at the Children’s Resource Center in Bowling Green.

At the CRC she also works with the STARS summer day camp program. She is also gearing up to do a similar program in Rossford.

Reynolds grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and went to the University of Michigan, where she got a degree in psychology.

This summer she will work with more than 200 kids.

“It’s very strange to order $12,000 in materials (for the classes)” Reynolds said, excited to be gearing up for another summer.

She also recently got engaged.

Her fiance, Zach Schmidt, works for the Wood County Board of Elections, but will soon be starting a new job at his alma mater, Bowling Green State University. He will be a coordinator of transfer students’ admissions information.

“This also gets requested when Zach goes to work parties,” Reynolds said. “The crumble is the best part, and you aren’t supposed to eat it raw, but you have to taste test.”

She laughed, adding, “There’s been a small percentage eaten in this house. I have some extra in the fridge, if that tells you anything.”