Why, hello there! It is spring break for this girl and I am super happy. I am currently on the beach in the tropics, laying on the sand in a bikini while smoking hot native men are cooling me down with palm fronds and feeding me mango. Not true, but how I wish that were true! I am actually drinking tea in the kitchen of my parents' house in Atlanta, Georgia with my apron on because I just made the most delicious banana bread. My favorite part of being at my parents' house is the kitchen. It's beautiful, with country white cabinets, 4 times the size of my NYC apartment kitchen, and it always has any ingredient for baking everything. Coming home to bake is my vacation. Plus, it's always more fun getting to share goodies with the family instead of them just sitting in my kitchen. This banana bread recipe was originally my mother's and is amazing. For the bananas, the riper and blacker the peel, the better. Is blacker a word?
Cinnamon Walnut Banana Bread
Ingredients:
3-5 ripe Bananas
1/2 c. Unsalted Butter, softened
1 c. Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs
1 3/4 c. Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 c. Walnuts, finely chopped
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter loaf pan.
2. Blend butter and granulated sugar in an electric mixer until creamy, about two to three minutes.
3. Add bananas and mix about three minutes, until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add to banana mixture in three additions, mixing well between each.
5. Stir in walnuts.
6. Pour into loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until center is set and a toothpick, when inserted, comes out clean.