Banana Bread

Ingredients:
2 and ½ Cups all purpose flour, unsifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 and ½ cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 medium or 4 small)
¼ Cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 Cup sugar
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Evenly grease a 9” by 5” metal loaf pan. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, combine bananas, milk, and vanilla.

In a large bowl, with a mixer at medium speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (creaming). Beat in eggs, one at a time. Reduce speed to low; alternately add flour mixture and banana mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Beat until just blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes; remove fro pan and cool completely on wire rack. Makes 1 loaf.

Notes: Do not use a glass loaf pan. A glass pan heats faster than the metal pan causing the crust to be darker and causes a ½ inch of brown crust.

Optional: Add one Cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans) before baking.

Make-Ahead Tip: Up to 1 month ahead, make and bake banana bread. Cool completely. Place loaf in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw for 1 hour at room temperature before using.