Banana Nut Bread - A simple Banana Bread Recipe
This simple banana bread recipe has been with me for years. People tell me that it is the best recipe for banana bread they have ever found. I find that a gift of a freshly baked loaf is a perfect welcome to any new neighbors, or a great thank you to a favorite teacher. Whenever I have bananas at the perfect stage, I bake up loaves and freeze them until needed. Nuts are optional in this recipe, if you use them, I recommend that you toast them first; you will be rewarded with a more intense nutty flavor. To differentiate between loaves with nuts and those with out, I sprinkle the tops of the nut breads with some additional nuts before baking. Any way that you use it, you will find that this simple banana bread recipe will serve you well for years to come.
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1-1/4 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/3 cup solid shortening 2/3 cup white granulated sugar
2 eggs 2 Tbs. milk, half and half, or cream 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas 1/2 cup diced ripe bananas (small dice)
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans (optional)
Preheat oven to 350º and lightly grease an 1 lb. loaf pan  . In a small mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; stir until evenly distributed and set aside.
With an
Scrape batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 60-65 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Allow loaf to cool in pan for 10 minutes, and then remove it from pan and allow it to cool completely on a wire cooling rack
For best taste, wrap completely cooled loaf in foil or plastic wrap overnight. Your banana nut bread will slice easier the next day as well.
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