Mmm Banana Bread

Banana Bread 

This is a recipe I've adapted from a cookbook given to me by my mom in 1999. I've made this so many times over the years, and it always comes out perfect! One year I made dozens of mini loaves and gave them away during the holiday season. Most everyone loves banana bread, except my oldest son, but I can't win them all!

1 T plus 1/2 c softened butter
3/4 c packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1 c mashed ripe banana (about 3 or 4 small bananas)
3/4 c yogurt

Preheat oven to 350. Melt the tablespoon of butter in a loaf pan, spread around to coat.
Beat 1/2 c butter in a large bowl until it's whipped (I use an electric mixer). Crumble in the brown sugar and mix until creamy.
Break the eggs into a small bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add these to the butter mixture and beat with the mixer for 1 minute, adding the vanilla along the way.
Measure the flour into a separate bowl. Mix in baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
Add a third of the dry mix to the wet mix and stir slowly with a spoon. When the flour is mostly mixed in, add half the banana.
Add another third of the dry mix, then the rest of the banana, keep stirring.
Add the remainder of the dry mix, then the yogurt. Mix from the bottom until fully combined.
Pour batter into the buttered pan and spread until even.
Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a rack to finish cooling.

Cool completely before slicing, if you can! We never can, and the result is our loaf falls apart as we cut it. We don't care. We just slap on some butter and eat it warm!  Enjoy!