Banana Nut Bread

by Boschek

Most people enjoy eating bananas, if they are not green and not overripe. The problem is, if you buy 6 bananas and you wait until they are just right for eating you probably will enjoy one or two, perhaps even three, and the rest quickly get brown or black spots and are no longer a joy to eat. It probably is not a secret that very overripe bananas are excellent for baking. This recipe has been a favourite of ours for many years. I found it in my mother’s copy of the 1984 Church Women United of Greater Hammond (Indiana) recipe collection and this particular recipe was attributed to a Ms. Donna Hasten of Highland, Indiana. I usually make it in one larger loaf pan, but the original recipe calls for two small pans. You can bake it any pan you like, just test with a cake tester or tooth pick to make sure it is baked all the way through to the middle.

 

Recipe – Banana Nut Bread

8-1/2″ (22 cm) loaf pan buttered and floured

3/4 cup (150 g) white sugar
3/4 cup (150 g) brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 g) butter
2 eggs beaten
1 cup mashed overripe bananas
4 Tbl buttermilk
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups (250 g) white flour
1 cup walnuts (roughly chopped – large pieces)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze (optional)
1-1/2 cups of confectioners sugar
3-4 Tbl milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream the sugars and butter (good opportunity to use your stand mixer with paddle, if you have one). Add eggs, one at a time. Add bananas, buttermilk, soda and salt and mix. Add flour mixing in small amounts at a time, then add the nuts and vanilla and stir.
Pour in prepared loaf pan and bake at 175 °C (350 °F) for 45 min and test for doneness with a cake tester or wooden skewer. Make sure to test in the middle and thickest part to be sure it is baked through. Allow to cool 10 min on a rack before removing from pan. Then allow to cool completely before cutting.

If you chose to glaze the top, slowly add the milk the confectioners’ sugar until the proper consistency. Add a little more milk if necessary. Stir in the vanilla and drizzle the glaze over the cool loaf. Allow to firm up before cutting.