Banana Bread
One loaf of banana bread. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you are using a dark pan, or a glass Pyrex type pan, reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. For any and all recipes, whenever you bake with these two types, you should always reduce the temperature by 25 degrees.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour
2/3 cup White Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 cup Mashed, Ripe Banana (2-3 medium size bananas, or 2 large)
1/3 cup Butter Flavored Shortening or Butter, softened
2 Tbsp Whole Milk, or Half & Half
2 Eggs, Room Temperature
1/4 cup Chopped Nuts, Raisins, or Chocolate Chips
Sift ALL dry ingredients together.
Add all ingredients but eggs & nuts, beat with an electric mixer on low until blended, then on highest speed for 2 minutes. Add the eggs, and beat gently until eggs are incorporated.
Pour the batter into a prepared bread pan. Sprinkle the nuts, raisins, chips, whatever you are adding on top of the batter, gently stir them into the batter with a spatula or fork. (This will keep the additions throughout the bread - if you mix them in before you pour the batter into the pan, the majority of the additions sink, and bake into the bottom.)
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, on the center rack of the oven. Check the loaf at 55 minutes using a toothpick in the center.
When baking is complete, cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap, covered by aluminum foil.
A couple of tips: If you are baking the loaf with nuts, let the loaf rest for a day before eating it. This will give you the nut flavor without the acidity. For some reason, walnuts have a certain bite in banana bread that is obvious to the taste. Waiting eliminates that.
Your recipe called for butter for the pan. Whenever I bake, I use a non-stick baking spray called "Baker's Joy". It is like other non stick sprays, but contains flour and is specifically formulated for baking. Pam also makes a version of the bake spray, but it is harder to find.
If I have it on hand, I add about 1/3 cup of sour cream to the batter when adding wet ingredients (before the eggs). You can't taste it, but it adds a richer flavor and a more moist texture to the bread. I do the same when making cake from boxed mixes, or muffins. Anyway, this particular recipe is excellent with or without it.
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, on the center rack of the oven. Check the loaf at 55 minutes using a toothpick in the center.
When baking is complete, cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap, covered by aluminum foil.
A couple of tips: If you are baking the loaf with nuts, let the loaf rest for a day before eating it. This will give you the nut flavor without the acidity. For some reason, walnuts have a certain bite in banana bread that is obvious to the taste. Waiting eliminates that.
Your recipe called for butter for the pan. Whenever I bake, I use a non-stick baking spray called "Baker's Joy". It is like other non stick sprays, but contains flour and is specifically formulated for baking. Pam also makes a version of the bake spray, but it is harder to find.
If I have it on hand, I add about 1/3 cup of sour cream to the batter when adding wet ingredients (before the eggs). You can't taste it, but it adds a richer flavor and a more moist texture to the bread. I do the same when making cake from boxed mixes, or muffins. Anyway, this particular recipe is excellent with or without it.
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