Banana Bread

 

Quick breads are a family favorite around here.  My kids can devour a whole loaf as a morning or afternoon snack if I let them.  For awhile I made friendship bread and was making breads constantly.  Eventually I will get back into making some, but I needed a break after making it for about a year. 

I am a banana bread snob though.  I don't like nuts in my banana bread.  It ruins the texture for me.  Plus, I am not a walnut fan, and it is usually the nut of choice to put in quick breads and desserts.  My family likes nuts, so they aren't nearly as picky as me.   My banana bread recipe is from an old church cookbook, from my Aunt Val.  Not sure where she got it from,  but it is an excellent bread.  The only bread I have had that is as good is a different type of banana bread, more like a spongy cake, much lighter.  This bread is dense and very moist, and delicious.  The sour cream is the secret I think. I have changed the recipe some in effort to make to make it a little more figure friendly.  And while the changes still produces an excellent banana bread, the original produces the best bread.  So, I will share both, the big change being with the butter, and let you decide which way to try it.

BANANA BREAD  

by Valerie Czyz

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 c. (2 sticks) butter- softened *original*
•  2 c. sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 4 eggs
• 3 1/2 c. AP flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 c. light sour cream**original**
• 2 c. mashed ripe bananas (3-4)
• 1 c. nuts or choc. chips (opt.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add vanilla and lemon juice; beat.  Add eggs and beat well.  Add sour cream and mashed bananas and beat again.  In separate bowl, whisk flour, salt and baking soda and powder.  Add dry to wet and mix until well combined, but not overworking.  Pour into greased/floured bread tins.  I usually dump some choc. chips in one loaf and work them in with a knife at this point.  Bake 50-55 minutes @ 350 until toothpick comes out clean from center.  (will probably cook longer in gas oven).  Makes 2 loaves.

• *can use 3/4c. canola oil (I substitute 1 individual plain applesauce drained [which comes to about 1/3c.] dump it in my measuring cup and then add the rest oil)
• **I use light sour cream for about 1/2c. and non-fat plain greek yogurt for the other 1/2c.