Banana Bread

I think like everyone elese I like to have banana’s around the house, but I never seem to eat them all before they go bad. But not to worry everyone love’s Banana Bread. So don’t throw out those over ripe banana’s instead take your old brown over ripe banana’s and take them out of their peels and wrap them in plastic wrap. Now you can freeze them in a zip lock bag until you have enough banana’s and enough time to make banana bread.
I always have the best of intentions on Saturday or Sunday morning when i wake up at 6 instead of my usual 4am, but as soon as i sit down to a cup of coffee its all over….and while i admit nothing compares to my stumbling through the kitchen at 6 in the morning trying to be quiet, dragging out all the ingredients and measuring, I do tend to make quite a mess in my uncaffeinated state…..so to help make my morning easier and get the banana bread in the oven faster, I make up 3 or 4 bags of the dry ingredients ahead of time. Everything fits nicely into a small zip lock, label it and date it. That way if I get ambitious and decide to prep other baked goods I know what is in each bag.
Now all I have to do is get out the butter, eggs and sugar and in less than time it takes to preheat the oven i have the banana bread in the oven a cup of coffee in my hand and the news on the TV.

So lets begin with my favorite Banana Bread recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson a true Domestic Goddess and one of my favorite TV Chefs….. while everyone has a banana bread recipe this is the best and easiest i have found, so lets get baking!!

Banana Bread by Nigella Lawson

1/2 cup of golden raisins
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
4 medium very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

9″loaf pan buttered and floured or liberally sprayed with Pam

preheat the oven to 325 degrees and lets get started
put the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl and combine well with either your hands or a wooden spoon
In a large bowl or your mixer place the sugar and melted butter and mix well, add the eggs one at a time, then add the mashed banana’s. Then with your wooden spoon mix in the raisins, walnuts and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture a third at a time mixing well each time. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 1-1 1/4 hours. When its ready a toothpick or knife inserted into the center should come out clean9 there may be a little cleaning to it, just not gooey batter) Place the pan on a rack to cool for 15 minutes and then pop it out of the pan and its ready to enjoy.

walnuts may be replaced with pecans, and regular raisins may be used instead of golden raisins, i have used currents instead of raisins also. If your a chocolate fan, try adding some chocolate chips if you like, chocolate seems a natural pairing with banana’s, just don’t get carried away 1/2 cup should be plenty.

Now get baking!!