Banana bread – basic and delicious

Having little ones in the house means there are usually bananas onhand. When they start to turn brown I compulsively make banana bread for unknown points in the future when company might show up and have a hankering for something to eat with their coffee.  There are three loaves in my freezer right now, and another six bananas turning colour in the kitchen.

I served banana bread (fresh, not frozen) at a baby shower on the weekend and now the guests are asking for the recipe, so here it is:

Step 1: Mix: (I think you’re supposed to use a mixer, but my little one is afraid of the sound so I just stir it up well.)

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter (softened) – (If you’re striving for lower fat you can do a couple tablespoons of butter and 1/2 cup apple sauce instead, but you have to store it in the fridge because the loaf goes bad quicker.)
• 2-3 mashed bananas (fully ripe)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup curdled milk. (I add a few drops of vinegar to the milk and let it sit for a minute.)

Step 2. In a seperate bowl combine:

• 1 3/4 cups flour. (sometimes I use 1 1/4 cups of flour and 3/4 cup of oatmeal or bran flour.)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Step 3. stir dry ingredients and add them to the wet ingredients until blended.

Step 4. Throw in a handful of dried cranberries and a handful (or two) of walnut pieces.

Step 5. Bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes in a loaf pan greased with butter!

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