Age Old Banana Bread

This is one of those recipes that has apparently been handed down from generation to generation. From all the banana breads I've ever had, I find this one to be the....juiciest? At least I think that's a good way of describing it. It has a nice balance of banana flavor and sweetness to it without being overly sweet. Perfect "dessert" for anytime of the day.

There are some specific techniques and order of operations mentioned in the recipe. For example, pre whisking the eggs or giving the mash time to rise. I've skipped out on these before and just poured it all together in one bowl and trust me it ruined the whole thing. Don't ask me how, but my great great great grandma apparently knew what she was doing.

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter
• 1 and 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 and 1/4 cup of all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 bananas (the more ripe the better)
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp of sour cream
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• cooking spray

Easiest step, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small dish, mix the sour cream and baking soda together. Set it aside while you work on the next few steps. The sour cream and baking soda need to sit and rise for about 10 minutes or so before mixing with the banana mash.

In a large bowl, add the butter and soften in the microwave for 30 seconds or so if needed. Then add the sugar and cream the butter and sugar together. I find this goes better when using a large spoon rather than a mixer.

In a separate cup or dish, whisk the eggs together with the vanilla extract. Then add the eggs / vanilla mixture to the large bowl with the sugar and butter. Using a spoon or a mixer on a slow setting, blend the ingredients together so they are nice and creamy.

Now for the bananas, peel and place in a separate dish from the rest of the ingredients. Add the sour cream / baking soda mixture from the second step to the bowl of bananas. Using a masher, mash and mix the bananas with the sour cream / baking soda. Once well mashed, add the mash to the large bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix until mostly smooth using either a spoon or mixer on slow.

Last mixing step! Add the flour to the large bowl of ingredients and mix slowly. Don't over mix it, make sure it remains light and fluffy.

Pour all ingredients into a well-greased baking pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until you can poke a toothpick in the center and pull it out dry. The outside will brown much quicker than the inside will bake, but keep an eye on the center as you near 40-45 minutes or so, removing from the oven just as the inside finishes is key.

Let the banana bread cool for 15-20 minutes before cutting into it. However, it is best served the next day, honestly it's like a completely different thing. After the banana bread cools, cover with aluminum foil and let sit for 12 hours or overnight. Then cut, serve, and enjoy!

Thanks for reading, happy making!