World's Best Banana Bread
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons butter [ I like using coconut oil, too]
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla [sometimes I use 2- I *know*, I'm radical like that!]
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cup mashed, [ 3 whole] very ripe bananas- I HAVE used as many as 4 with great results.
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans [optional]
Directions:
Preheat oven to 335 degrees. Spray bottom only of 9 X 5 X 3-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. I like to sprinkle a fine mist of cinnamon and sugar over the bottom of the pan too.
Beat butter in large bowl with an electric mixer set at medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add granulated sugar; beat well.
Add eggs and vanilla; beat until well blended.
Add mashed banana, and beat on high speed 30 seconds.
Combine flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder in medium bowl.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with cream, ending with flour mixture.
Add walnuts to batter; mix well.
Pour batter evenly into prepared loaf pan. Bake until browned and toothpick inserted near center comes out clean, about 75 minutes (1hr and 15 minutes). Cool bread in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan; cool completely on wire rack.
**IF YOU FIND YOUR BREAD BROWNING TOO QUICKLY , LAY A SHEET OF FOIL OVER THE TOP -DON'T FOLD DOWN, JUST LAY IT ON TOP- ABOUT 40 MINUTES INTO COOKING TIME.**
**I don't always follow all the steps in the mixing, meaning: I add everything to one bowl just occasionally blending with the beater as I go along, and the bread turns out great that way too.
