No-Regrets Banana Bread
Last week I baked a loaf of banana bread for a friend of mine who had had surgery. Older son wandered into the kitchen as I was taking this heavenly loaf out of the oven. "Hey, Mom, can we bake some banana bread for us?" And because it was 8:00 at night, I said no.
"But Mom, we only have so many years left to do these things together. And one day you'll wake up old and alone, and you'll say to your robotic nurse maid, Sheila-X99 'I wish I could have baked banana bread more often with Older. But now those days are gone.'"
Stunned silence.
"Dang it, Mom, you should have cracked by now."
I'm still in Stunned Silence mode and trying to process a couple of things: 1) my son has contemplated my future, and it is horrible, 2) just what the heck is that kid watching on TV anyway?, and 3) can I make the remaining bananas on my counter ripen any faster?
This is the recipe for my No Regrets Banana Bread. Or maybe I'll call it Not Growing Old Alone with a Robotic Nurse Bread.
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped nuts, toasted *
3/4 cup sugar (that's 5 1/4 oz, if you're British) **
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 ripe bananas, mashed well
1/4 cup yogurt - I like to use vanilla flavored, but plain is fine
2 large eggs, beaten
6 Tbl butter
1 tsp vanilla
Heat oven to 350. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with the baking spray/flour combo.
Melt the 6 Tbl of butter and let it cool.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and nuts together in a large bowl and set aside
Mix the mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, melted butter and vanilla in a smaller bowl.
Gently fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. The batter should look chunky.
Transfer batter to loaf pan
Bake for 55 minutes. It should be golden and pass the wooden stick test.
Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and transfer the loaf to a wire rack.
Uber-deliciousness for you to enjoy. NOW! While you still can. Gah, I will be a mother-sons baking fiend this summer!
*nuts are optional of course. Older Son prefers walnuts while Younger argues for pecans, so I use a 1/2 cup of each. Such contrariness.
**My friend, Shelby, swears you can always decrease the amount of sugar, so if you feel the urge, try 1/2 cup of sugar.
