Recipe: Miss Manchester's FAMOUS Banana Nut Bread

It appears that most of us are still under lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic and we are discovering that we really don't like bananas as much as we thought we did when we stocked up on them a month ago, seeking an inexpensive yet nutritious, high energy food. Internet searches for "banana bread" are topping all other recipe searches - including my personal favorite, pancakes!

There are countless ways to make banana bread, and even more variations - some add berries, others sour cream - but I am a purist when it comes to food, believing that each flavor should be respected as a stand-alone star of their self-titled show; thus, I put only bananas and walnuts in my banana nut bread. If that sounds interesting to you - and you have at least 4 - 5 bananas so overripe they have partially liquefied inside their skins - read on for the recipe. Not to brag, but my banana nut bread brings all the boys to the church bake sale!

Miss Manchester's FAMOUS Banana Nut Bread

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon*

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg*

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, beaten

4 - 5 incredibly overripe bananas

3/4 cup sugar (can be reduced to 1/2 cup for less sweet, more savory taste)

1/2 cup cooking oil

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional, but delicious)

*If you do not have individual spices, you can be substitute with one 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice or allspice.

Directions

Preheat over to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease the bottom and sides of one 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan (or two 7 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 2 inch pans) and set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a large mixing bowl; stir until combined and make a well in the center for wet ingredients. Set aside.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine eggs, bananas, sugar, and oil; mix well and add all at once to the dry ingredients; stir until just moistened (batter should be lumpy) and then fold in the nuts, if using.

(If, like me, you have a Kitchen Aid 5-quart mixer you can ignore the aforementioned directions, add everything but the nuts into the mixer bowl, attach the stirring paddle, and stir on "speed 2" for two minutes before adding and stirring the nuts for an additional 30 seconds).

Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and bake for 55 - 60 minutes for 9 x 5 x 3 inch pan or 40 - 45 minutes for two 7 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 2 inch pans. Cover bread with foil for last 15 minutes of cooking to keep from over-browning/burning.

(To make individual mini loaves, pour equal amounts of batter into individual loaf tins and bake at 350 F/175 C for 30 minutes).

Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before removing from loaf pan; set loaf right-side up on a wire cooling rack and allow to cool to at least a slightly warm temperature before enjoying. Wrap and store uneaten portion of loaf.

KJM
04.30.2020