Banana Bread

9 X 5 Loaf Pan

Everyone has their favorite banana bread recipe and this is mine. I started making them as mini muffins when my children were little. They fit perfectly into their little hands and made for a nice snack. Since then I have made them into countless loaves and muffins.

No matter what shape you choose they are wonderful fresh. However, my little secret to achieve dense moist bread is to freeze it. When it defrosts it becomes incredibly moist, as if you added pudding to the mix.

My notes to you…

• Always use very ripe bananas or your banana bread will not be Banana-y enough. Spotted bananas are not quite ripe enough for my liking. I let them get mostly black. They will still have a little body to them and are extremely fragrant. Then I mash them with my immersion blender to make a puree. If you have lumpy bananas they will leave holes in your bread.

• This recipe is the perfect amount for a 9X5 inch loaf pan, but is too much batter for 12 muffins. So I make 12 muffins and about 10 mini muffins.

Bake Muffins in a preheated 350 degree oven for;

Regular Size – 20 - 23 minutes

Mini Size – 15 - 17 minutes
fill each muffin 3/4 way up

I used my convection oven.

AND a lower temperature 325 degrees to bake loaves

so that the bread will not get too dark.

Watch out for this guy AKA the cookie monster

Banana Bread

Makes 1- 9X5 inch loaf or 2 mini loaves or muffins

½         cup      butter, softened (1 stick)

1          cup      sugar

2          lg.        eggs

¼         cup      sour cream

½         tsp.      vanilla extract

1 ½      cup      very ripe bananas, mashed (about 3 -4 med.)

DRY ingredients (whisk together to mix; set aside)

1 ½      cups     flour

¼         tsp.      salt

½         tsp.      baking soda

Grease a 9X5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer until fluffy.

Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla and mix till blended and a little fluffy.

Add bananas and mix to blend.

Add flour mix and mix to blend (don’t over mix) or fold in flour with a rubber spatula until just blended.

Pour into a greased loaf pan and smooth top with a fork spreading the batter from the middle to the sides so that it cooks up flatter.

Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 60 - 65 min. or until a toothpick comes out clean. *** Mine took 65 min. with the convection oven.

Let bread cool in pan for 15 min. then carefully remove the bread from pan and let cool completely on the cooling rack before slicing.