Best Banana Bread

 This recipe has been a classic from Better Homes & Gardens cookbook for decades.  I have tried experimenting with it but the original recipe is still the best.

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease loaf pan.

in medium mixing bowl combine:
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt

Make a well in center of dry ingredients.

in small bowl, mash 3 bananas (best if over-ripe)
Stir in:
3/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. cooking oil
1 egg

pour into well in dry ingredient bowl.
stir until moistened - batter will be lumpy.


fold in 1/2 c. chopped walnuts.

pour into loaf pan.

bake @ 350 for 55 minutes, until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.



 turn out of pan, cool on rack completely.


here is the key step to moist banana bread:

wrap in foil overnight before slicing.  it will come out softer and moister? is that a word? more moist? i'm not entirely comfortable with the word "moist" - it somehow seems.... icky....

anyway, try it and see!

 slice to serve with butter.

also good with orange marmalade.

not good with maple syrup, even though it seemed like a good idea.

peanut butter also failed, but i'm not sure why.  i love peanut butter and banana sandwiches so i thought that peanut butter on banana bread would be wonderful, but it wasn't.  not at all.  neither was using peanuts instead of walnuts.  Better Homes and Gardens had it right in the first place :)