Quick Banana Bread

Do you remember  

The Joy of Cooking 

cookbook?  

My 1972 edition is still going strong, still used today.

The strange thing is I like the flavor of bananas, but the mushy texture grosses me out.  That’s when banana bread enters the scene.

This is a great simple recipe for the bread.  I adapted the original a touch by adding vanilla extract and scattering nuts over the top before baking, instead of combing them with the batter. 

If you prefer, add ½ cup of chopped nuts and ¼ cup finely chopped apricots to the batter, and then a sprinkling of turbinado sugar over the top of the loaf before baking.

That just could be the way to go!

Here's the recipe...

Quick Banana Bread
Printable recipe

Preheat oven to 350°.

Sift before measuring:
1¾ cups all-purpose flour

Resift with:
2¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Blend until creamy:
⅓ cup shortening
⅔ cup sugar
¾ teaspoon grated lemon rind

Beat in:
1 beaten egg
1¼ cups ripe banana pulp (about 3 bananas)

Add the sifted ingredients in about 3 parts to the sugar mixture.
Beat the batter after each addition until smooth.
Place batter in a greased 9 x 5 x 3 inches loaf pan.
Scatter ½ cup chopped walnuts over top.
Bake the bread until brown on top and done in the center (poke with a toothpick; it should come out clean) for 50 to 55 minutes.
Let stand in pan for 10 minutes, turn out on wire rack.
Cool completely before slicing.



Enjoy!