Banana Bread

Banana Bread

Oven Temperature: 350 Degrees

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 70 minutes

Total: 1 1/2 Hours

I am not fond of bananas. I refuse to eat them alone, and am very picky when it comes to baking with them. There are only two things that I will eat with bananas, Peanut Butter and Banana Bread. This Banana Bread is a truly classic recipe. Each bite is moist and flavorful. The bananas are evenly spread throughout and you get a nice bit of texture from the cinnamon coated walnuts. The crisp exterior has a nice bite to it, and the interior is unbelievably moist. This is a great addition to your morning cup of caffeine, and maybe, just maybe, you could pull it off as a dessert!

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup of Butter (Softened)
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
4 Medium VERY Ripe Bananas
1 tsp Milk
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Cups Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Cup Walnuts (Chopped)
1 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg

Directions:
Begin by mashing the bananas, and putting them in a bowl. I like to leave a little texture to my bananas, because I enjoy finding a chunk here and there. It's like a moist treasure. You also want to prepare the walnuts. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. I toast them in the preheated oven for 8 minutes, or until I can smell them. I then allow them to cool and chop 'em up. Then I put them in a bag and add the cinnamon and nutmeg. I dance around a little and make sure they are all coated and then I leave 'em be. Add the milk and vanilla to the bananas and incorporate with a spoon.
In another bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Now, in a third bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time beating well between each addition.
Next, with the beater on low, alternate adding the flour mixture and the banana mixture. Don't over mix the batter. Just incorporate everything well. Finally, fold in the walnuts with the extra spices left in the bag.
Butter and flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan and evenly our the batter into the pan. Bake for 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out almost clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then flip onto a wire rack. Cool completely. Store in an airtight bag. You can also freeze this. Just wrap it in some foil, an airtight bag, and pop it into the freezer for up to six months!

I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I did!