banana bread

I had these very over-ripe bananas in my fridge from last week.  I've been saving them to make this banana bread.  It's so freaking good.  We seriously have already eaten half of it...

Very uncomplicated ingredients...

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup vegetable shortening, I prefer Crisco.  Now, if you want to make this vegan, David, you just use all shortening.

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs.  Again, you can use an egg substitute to keep this vegan.  It will work just as well.

1/2 cup sour cream.  I know, it's weird...Also, vegan version would be Tofutti's Sour Supreme.  I actually like that better sometimes.

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, if you like nuts.  If not, leave them out.

2 medium-large bananas mashed up

How to make this...

1.  In a bowl add the butter, shortening, and both sugars.  With a mixer, either stand or hand, although a stand mixer is easier because you can have your coffee, read a book and your hand won't feel like it's about to fall off after a few minutes, mix on medium speed until light and fluffy like so...

Check out the action shot!

Oh, and while you are waiting, go ahead and mash up your bananas...

Fun fact about bananas...the more you cut them the more sugary they get.  For the lowest calorie banana option, open it up and eat it.  Air will react with bananas and moisture you see accumulate on them is more of a syrup of banana sugars.  The more you slice it or mash it, the sweeter and more caloric it gets.

2.  After it looks like that, add the eggs and vanilla.  Make sure to scrape down the sides.  You don't want liquidy sugar & egg mixture and stiff sugar mixture unmixed.  Baking is a science and things need to be mixed up all the way.  When you are done it will look like this...

3.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.  I like to add a little cinnamon and nutmeg in here too.  It's totally up to you.  I would add about 1/2 teaspoon of each if you like.  After that is all mixed together, add into the sugar/egg/butter mixture a little bit at a time at a low speed until it is just combined.  Just a warning, MAKE SURE IT IS AT A LOW SPEED!  Seriously, that deserves all caps.  I don't know anyone who likes to clean flour off of the cabinets, counters, floors, fridge...

4.  After that is all done, remove your bowl from the mixer and add the rest of the ingredients.

5.  Now FOLD in the ingredients.  Folding and mixing are 2 different things.  Folding is a lighter pressure way of mixing in ingredients that keeps the integrity of them more so than mixing.  The best way to fold is to start in the middle of the bowl and slowly work your way out.  Here are some shots of what folding should look like...

When you are done it should look like this...

6.  Pour the mixture into a greased loaf pan.  Place in the middle of the rack of a 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes.  Test with a toothpick or cake tester after 50 minutes.  If it comes out clean, the bread is done.  If not, test every 5 minutes until it does.  When finished, remove from oven and let sit for at least 10-15 minutes.  Then dislodge it and eat.  It takes all of my willpower not to eat this right away.  It is SO GOOD hot.  We cut a piece, slop some butter on there and chow down!

Try not to eat it all in one sitting.  It's difficult, I know.