Best Banana Bread Recipe - Tuesdays at the Table

I am trying a new party today with Cole for Tuesdays at the Table at All the Small Stuff. I am happy to be able to bring to this party my favorite recipe for Best Ever Banana Bread. My daughter and I, decided to made a couple of loaves of bread this weekend. A friend of hers was celebrating her birthday and she absolutely loves Banana Bread. This recipe makes one loaf but is easily doubled.


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Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 very ripe medium bananas)
2 eggs slightly beaten

This was a recipe popular in the 1960's and 1970's. It is a cake-like bread, full of great flavor and texture. Easy to make and oh so yummy. Enjoy.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9" x 5" loaf pan.
In a large bowl, with fork, mix the first 5 ingredients.
2. With pastry blender or 2 knives scissor fashion, cut in shortening until mixture resembles course crumbs.
3. With fork, stir in the bananas and eggs just until blended; spread batter evenly in pan.
4. Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour (I always have to cook it an extra 10 minutes with my stove), until toothpick in center comes out clean.
5. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes and then remove from pan and cool completely on rack.

This is the actual recipe as printed in my Good Housekeeping Cookbook 1987. I always add chopped walnuts.

TIP 1: I use this recipe a lot for bridal/baby showers. The bread has a nice crust and holds its shape when cutting into slim slices. I then spread with whipped cream cheese brought to spreadable room temp. I then place a candied walnut in the center and drizzle just a smidge of honey over the slice. It makes for a little more elegant presentation.

TIP 2: In the photo above it shows the bread being wrapped for its gift giving. I do not wrap my baked goods, it makes them loose that fabulous crust. Within 10 minutes of the bread being wrapped, it was delivered to the Birthday Girl at her party. Ten minutes after that it was totally devoured.

So be sure to stop over and say Hi to Cole and to check out all the other great recipes. She is also having a giveaway to celebrate her Blogoversary. (Please click on the link above or the button on my sidebar to join in, thanks.)

Have a good day.
Sherrie