Banana Bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Grease a standard bread pan (approximately 8.5" x 4.5")

1 & 1/3 C all-purpose flour (whole wheat can be substituted for up to 1/3 C)

3/4 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t baking powder

5 & 1/3 T unsalted butter, softened

2/3 C sugar

2 eggs

1 C mashed ripe bananas (~ 2 large bananas)

Optional: 1/2 C chocolate chips or nuts; cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg

Mix dry ingredients, set aside
Beat butter and sugar together
Add flour mixture
Add eggs
Mix in bananas

Pour into prepared pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan 5 minutes, then turn out to cool completely on a wire rack.

- From the Joy of Cooking -

Some of my earliest memories are of baking cookies with my mother in our kitchen in the house on Cedar Ridge.  Chocolate chip cookies, and I got to lick the whisks.  During my teenage years I made my way through Mrs. Fields cookie recipes, much to the delight of my family and friends.  In college I started experimenting with pizza dough, though it would take a few years and a powerful stand mixer to achieve proficiency with yeasted bread.  

One of my favorite recipes of all-time is for banana bread from The Joy of Cooking.  It's simple, the list of ingredients is short, and it's perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.  One loaf rarely lasts a week in our house.