Banana Bread

I have a recipe on a piece of paper that I printed out, from years (20?) ago.  I have no idea where it came from but have always used it and never made anything else when it comes to banana bread.  My son will tell you that my banana bread is the best he's ever had.  I know it's because he's bias and it's because he's had it since he was a kid.  I never bake either so he was probably grateful to get "something" from me...That being said, everyone who has tried it seems to like it too.

So, I usually add whole, natural almonds, that I put in a baggie and crush up with my mallet.  This time I had leftover nuts from Christmas, so I cracked most of those and put them in a baggie.  It was a mix of almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts and pecans.  Then I crushed them the usual way.

I always use 4 bananas because I don't use very much sugar.  You could use 3 though.  These ones below were almost ready, they could have sat for a couple of more days though...

I mash these up in a bowl with a fork.  Preheat the oven to 350°F.  When the bananas are mashed I then add in:

• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar (recipe calls for 3/4 - 1 cup white sugar which I have never done)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon vanilla (recipe calls for 1 teaspoon which I have never done)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 & 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

I mix everything first including the nuts, except the flour, and do that last.  I spray a loaf pan with "Pam" and then pour the mixture in.  I give the loaf pan a small drop on a floor mat to settle the batter in evenly.  Bake for one hour.  I test with a toothpick in the centre and sometimes it goes another 10 minutes or so if there is wet dough on the toothpick still.  Cool on a rack.

Then I take it out of the loaf pan and cool it again on the rack.

I always give my son a couple of "warm" slices with butter and a glass of milk if he's home.  That's probably why he loves me.  I store it in one of those domed cake trays you get from a grocery store when you buy a cake.