Classic Banana Bread
My mother was very good about encouraging us to eat healthfully, and wasn't one to repeat baked treats regularly unless there was a reason to do so. Of course, she would make chocolate cake each year for my dad's birthday, and for a little while there (when we were in the bright-colors-everywhere phase of childhood) she made M&M cookies for me and my sisters pretty often. However, there's one recipe that stands out in my mind when I think about what's been baked (and consumed) the most. The banana bread always comes back around!
Maybe it's because the recipe calls for fruit, but I never feel bad eating a slice of this. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a healthy recipe (it does still have a whole stick of butter in it), but it's not exactly terrible for you either! And as someone who absolutely hates throwing away food, I also love that this gives me a way to use bananas that have gone overripe.
If you're really craving some banana bread and you don't have any overripe bananas (aka you didn't plan ahead for this 3 days ago), you can always ripen bananas in the oven! Set it to 300 F, and place the bananas on a cookie sheet, still in the peels but separated from the bunch. Bake them for 20 minutes, then flip them, and bake for another 10-20 minutes. The peels will blacken and you'll be left with basically mush inside, which normally is gross, but so happens to be perfect for this recipe!
The best thing about banana bread is that it's great for any time of day. Enjoy for breakfast, lunch, dinner, your midday snack, or your midnight snack! There will be no judgement from me.
CLASSIC BANANA BREAD
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
8 T butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/4 t salt
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup mashed banana (this can be anywhere from 2-3 bananas)
3 T milk
2 T vinegar
Powdered sugar, nuts (both optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
In a medium bowl, cream the butter and the sugar together, than add the eggs. Mix well.
Sift together the dry ingredients (salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour) in a large bowl. Add the butter mix from above and mix. Add the mashed banana, milk, and vinegar, and make sure all the ingredients are well-combined.
I've always enjoyed this without nuts, but feel free to add some before baking!
Bake in a bundt for 40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Depending on the pan, you may need more or less time. Once it's out of the oven and has cooled, remove from the pan, and sift powdered sugar over the top if you'd like!
Happy Eating,