BANANNA NUT BREAD

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 40-60 Minutes

When I walk past a bakery or into someone's kitchen just as fresh baked goods are being pulled out of the oven, the aroma is usually one of those things that I really find hard to resist. Breads, cakes, pies - they all have that "Grandma's Place" scent...the yeast or the sugar, whatever it is just triggers a reaction not unlike poor Pavlov's dog with the ring of a bell. I suppose baked treats are my "bell" of sorts. One of them anyway. ;o)

My Dad loves bananna flavoured treats, as does my husband, so I took some overripened banannas that were destined for the bin if not rescued soon, and decided to give them one last chance for resurrection into something suitable for human consumption.

I gathered up my brown banannas and a bag of walnuts and decided these were to become a lovely loaf of bananna nut bread - American style. My hubby usually says he will make a bananna cake when our banannas get past their "use by" dates, but I have only had it once. I will never forget how the first one he made enveloped the house in a lovely aroma, then he covered it in a lovely chocolatey icing...and proceeded to wrap it up for his barber!!! WHAT??? Yep, that's right, he had promised the shop he would bring in his "famous bananna cake", so I didn't even get to sample any for nearly another two years! Needless to say, I married him anyway (hehe) and I try to beat him to the punch these days! Hehe... ;o)

Anyway, this recipe is from a very old McCall's cookbook that my friend's father gave me as a wedding present many moons ago. I still cherish it (and reference it often) today!

INGREDIENTS:

1 & 1/2 Cups Sifted Flour

2/3 Cup Sugar

3 Tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/4 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Cup Butter or Margerine

1 Cup Mashed Very Ripe Banannas (approximately 2-4, more or less)

(QUICK TIP: to quickly ripen for cakes & breads, freeze then thaw them)

2 Eggs

1/2 - 2/3 Cup Chopped Walnuts

1/4 Cup Raisins (optional - I opt to leave 'em out)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 F (180-190 C) and grease or spray cooking oil into a standard loaf pan (or muffin tin - lined or not).

Sift all dry ingredients (first 5 listed) into a large bowl and cut in butter or margerine with two knives (or a pastry blender) until it resembles a consistency like breadcrumbs and there are no large lumps.

Now add bananna and eggs and, with an electric mixer on low, combine for 1-2 minutes then add nuts & raisins and combine well.

Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 40-60 minutes (start checking at 25 minutes for muffins). Begin checking loaf at 40-45 minutes and remove from oven once a tester inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the pan and leaving to cool completely on a wire rack.

It is suggested to then wrap the loaf in plastic, then in foil and store overnight before serving. I assume that it enhances the bananna flavour and keeps the loaf moist.

This recipe makes one standard loaf.