Banana Bread

One of the first things everyone learns to bake is banana bread. It was certainly the case for me. When do we not have an extra banana or two lying around the house that is past its prime?

Over the years, I've tried several banana bread recipes, but I always go back to the one my mother taught me to make. This one requires buttermilk, but I hardly ever use actual buttermilk.  In order to make a successful buttermilk substitute, mix 1/2 cup of milk with either 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.

Note, the recipe also requires butter, but vegetable. oil works just as well. In the batch pictured, I added 3/4 chocolate chips. Nuts work just as well, but both are optional.

Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk (see note above)
1 tsp. baking soda
1tsp. baking powder
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana

Method:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Step 2: Mix sugar and butter in mixer until creamed
Step 3: Add eggs, one at a time, and mix
Step 4: Add buttermilk, baking soda, and baking powder and mix in
Step 5: Add flour and mix in
Step 6: Mix in banana and flour
Step 7: Optional--stir in chocolate chips or chopped nuts
Step 8: Pour batter into greased 9 x 5 loaf pan
Step 9: Bake in oven for 90 minutes