The Great Traveling Banana Bread

This recipe came from my mom, Marcia (that's Marsh-ah, not Mar-see-ah).  When I think of my favorite treats from childhood this is one of my top two favorites (Grandma Audrey's chocolate chip cookies is the other and perhaps I will share that one soon).  My mom was a single mother to three kids and as you can imagine had little time for baking, but this banana bread was the one thing she did bake for us.  I added my own secret ingredient, the nutmeg, that I think gives it a little bit of the "mmmm" factor. 

My friend Chad isn't a big sweet eater and in fact doesn't even like chocolate, but this banana bread he asks for whenever I get to see him.  Chad is in the Air Force and right now is on deployment in Afghanistan.  This banana bread is one of the things he has asked for since he was deployed and so off it went.  Oh, yes....this banana bread went international!

 

(this would be Chad, of course)

This recipe isn't extravagant, it isn't rich, it isn't indulgent but it is good.  Simple, yummy and makes the whole house smell phenomenal!! 

(this is THE actual loaf that was sent to Chad in Afghanistan)

Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a standard sized loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray, or butter it up really good.  Set it aside.

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer beat together your butter and sugar until it looks creamy and well combined.  If you prefer you can use margarine or shortening.  I use whatever I have in the house.  Add one egg and mix to combine.  Add the other egg and mix to combine.  Set bowl aside.

Put your ripe, peeled bananas in a small bowl.  I always call them "rotten" bananas.  I leave them in the fruit bowl until they are all black.  Not just spotted, but black.  I think that the more overripe you can get them the better the banana flavor in your bread.  But if you got to use the spotted ones go for it.  Using your hand mixer, puree your bananas.  If I remember correctly my mom used to mash them up with a fork so her bananas were a bit more chunky.  In fact sometimes there would be chunks of banana in her bread.  But I prefer a nice smooth banana puree cause I don't like the chunks in the bread.  It's a texture thing for me. So I puree the heck out of my bananas until they look like baby food or banana soup or something like that.  Add your banana puree to your creamed sugar/butter/egg mixture and mix until it is combine.  It will look a little funny, kind of chunky and weird but that is fine.  It will all work out in the end.

In another separate small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Then, working in batches add a little of the flour mixture to the banana mixture and mix with the hand mixer until just combined.  Add a little more and mix.  Continue with this until all your flour mixture is incorporated into the banana mixture.  Be careful not to overmix your batter as you go.  You want to mix just until the flour disappears.  If you overmix your batter your bread will be tough.

Pour your batter into your prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of your bread comes out clean.  Allow your bread to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before turning it out on to a cooling rack OR your cutting board cause it is yummy warm from the oven.  Butter it up and enjoy!