Banana Bread

I really only like banana bread the day it is baked, after that it gets too strong in banana flavor for my liking. Luckily my husband likes it better a day or two later so it never goes to waste. This is adapted from my parent’s old version of The Joy of Cooking. It is a simple recipe without a whole bunch of spices so the banana flavor really comes through. I added sour cream because I find that the finished product is more tender and has extra moisture.

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ cup mashed banana
• ½ cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla together until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes at medium high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally to make sure everything is evenly incorporated. Add the egg to the butter mixture and mix until well combined. Then add the banana mash and sour cream and mix until well blended. In three parts add the flour mixture stirring until well incorporated after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition as well.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out almost clean.