Bannana Bread
Description
Banana bread is a classic American dessert that traces its origins to the era of the Great Depression (1929 - 1939). This recipe is from my grandmother, who was born during this period in American history. Banana bread was originally developed as a way to use overripe bananas, as food was precious during the Great Depression and families couldn’t afford to throw anything away. This period coincided with the commercial availability of chemical leaveners, such as baking powder and baking soda, which gave rise to new recipes for “quick breads” that were made without yeast. Banana bread must be made with overripe bananas, as they are naturally sweeter and easy to mash into a paste. Two of the most popular variations of banana bread are made with either chopped walnuts or chocolate chips, although it can be prepared without either. The version with walnuts is the most classic, and in my opinion, the best. Almost 100 years later, banana bread remains a popular dessert across the country and is often sold in coffee shops or prepared in home kicthens. This easy recipe is worth a try, and makes for the best banana bread that I’ve ever eaten.
(Source: King Arthur Baking)
Ingredients
8 tbsp room temperature butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 over ripe bananas (the skin must be completely brown)
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups chopped walnuts
Preparation
Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and cream together using an electric mixer - this should take around 5 minutes. Add the bananas to the creamed butter, then beat to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla, then beat to combine.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and baking powder. A little at a time, add the flour to the bowl with the wet ingredients, beating on slow speed. Finally, mix in the walnuts.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (280 C). Add the mix to a greased bread pan and bake for 1 hour.
Notes
If making muffins, bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.