Banana Bread

This is one of my rainy day recipes that I pull out when I'm short on time and ingredients. It's dead simple to prepare and my students love it. Very versatile (try baking it as a cake and icing it with butter cream) and an essential entry in any respectable home-maker's repertoire.

Banana Bread

3-4 bananas, mashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
2. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl
3. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla
4. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in
5. Add the flour last, mix until just combined
6. Pour mixture into a large, greased, loaf pan
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until top is browned and the center is firm
8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
9. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes



Tips:
The bananas should be slightly over-ripe.
The amount of sugar used can be reduced to 3/4 of a cup without affecting the taste.
Makes a great breakfast when toasted and served with butter.
3/4 of a cup of any type of chopped nuts may be added to this recipe
Bananas can be replaced with any type of semi-soft fruit, including squash, apple sauce, or soft pears.