Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The Best Banana Bread



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Banana bread and I have a real love connection. We go way back...seven years to be exact...

You see, this recipe for banana bread comes from my good friend Betty, Betty Crocker that is.

I love my banana bread so much because it is the first recipe I really tried after getting married. I remember it well, I received the Betty Crocker Bridal Edition Cookbook for a wedding gift.

Before marriage I had visions of a maid doing all of my cleaning and a personal chef cooking all of our meals. Then it hit me...I was knocked into reality with brutal force...the maid and chef...she lived in the house all right...her name was Katie! Yep, that was my new role as wife.

I figured out pretty quickly that I better learn to cook real food because we couldn't subsist on cookies and pies, so I flipped through that cookbook. Before I knew it I was rockin' the banana bread, mandarin salad, and garlic cheese biscuits everywhere I went (those were quickly our favorites from the book).

I think I surprised everyone by quickly becoming a domestic diva!

Through it all I learned that...

I like Betty. We bonded and I learned that she would never let me down.

I like cooking. I learned to love it actually, hence this little blog.

I like cleaning. Okay, I am still working on that one...


1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or stick margarine, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (3)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts, if desired

Move oven rack so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9 x 5 x 3 inches, with shortening.

Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Stir in bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt until moistened. Stir in nuts. Divide batter evenly between pans.

Bake 8 inch loaves about 1 hour, 9 inch loaf about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on wire rack.

Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.



This post is linked to Ultimate Recipe Swap at www.lifeasmom.com

10 comments:

Andrea @ Simple Organized Living said...

I've never tried adding buttermilk to my banana bread...sounds delicious.

I started adding chocolate chips to my banana bread a few years ago, and now I can't go back!

Mom said...

I love this banana bread recipe!!!(hint!Hint!) Maybe you have a small loaf with Mom written on it :)

Unknown said...

Sounds good, I love the flavor buttermilk gives to baked goods.

Katie said...

Andrea,

Sometimes I add chocolate chips to my banana muffins...my husband loves it that way.

Another great option is to throw in some blueberries. I usually do one loaf with nuts and one with blueberries.

Katie said...

Mom,
I have some leftover bananas here, if you are really nice maybe we can work out a deal!

Kimi said...

OMGosh...I am great friends with her as well. But I have never tried that recipe. I'm still working on the cleaning love too...it's been 17 yrs...I don't think it's going to happen!!

Katie said...

Kimi,

WOW...we something else in common. Ha ha! You have to try here banana bread...and the other recipes I mentioned!

So maybe I will never love the cleaning, huh?

LouAnneL said...

That recipe looks heavenly. I have bananas in my freezer right now and was trying to decide if I was making banana bread or not.. I think YES!

Tiffanee said...

Sounds delicious! I have never thought of adding buttermilk before. I must try it. I am still working on gaining a love for cleaning also!! It is a never ending task.

Katie said...

LouAnne, yes, you definitely need to use up those bananas! Let me know how you like it!

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