Banana Bread

There’s nothing quite like a warm slice of banana bread with a nice smear of butter. It’s as if the heavens looked down on the creation of butter and said, “Now we must create a perfect platform upon which to show off this butter.” When made properly, banana bread is moist and loaded with flavor. It’s pretty much a big, bread-shaped muffin. Best of all, banana bread is so easy to make… it’s “nuts!” Just kidding. It’s totally “bananas!” The only real trick to making good banana bread is using really ripe bananas. Just when you think it might be time to toss a banana in the compost bin, that’s the perfect time to use it for banana bread. The reason is that bananas develop more sugar as they ripen. The banana flavor becomes more pronounced as the fruit ages. Ask anybody’s grandma… the old way is the best way. Very ripe bananas yield very good banana bread. When I make banana bread, I use two mixing bowls: one to mash the bananas and the other one for mixing. Cream 1 softened stick of butter and 1 cup of sugar together until fluffy. Stir in 3 medium mashed bananas and 2 beaten eggs. Then, slowly stir in 1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and a couple pinches of salt. If you like, you can add a teaspoon of vanilla or a few dashes of cinnamon at this point. Lastly, fold in 1/3 cup chopped walnuts and then pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees and that’s all there is to it. This recipe makes one 9 1/2″ X 5″ loaf or three 6″ X 3 1/2″ inch mini loaves. The only note of caution with this recipe is to watch the cooking time. 40 to 50 minutes is a decent approximation, but every loaf of banana bread has its own distinct cooking time. The ripeness and size of your “medium” bananas both impact the cooking time. I’ve had one loaf take exactly 40 minutes and another with the same recipe take nearly an hour. Both turned out great despite the significant difference in cooking time. Just be sure to test that the bread is done with a toothpick or a skewer. If you stick it in the middle of the loaf and it comes out clean, the bread is done!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 medium bananas
8 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Cream sugar and butter, mash the bananas and add to the mixture. Beat and add the eggs. Slowly add the flour, salt, and baking soda. (If desired, fold in the walnuts at this point.) Pour into a loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 50 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!

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