Banana Bread

This is the banana bread I've always made and I love it. It is a recipe straight from my Betty Crocker cook book that I've had forever.

1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms only of two 8-inch loaf pans.

Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Stir in bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt until just moistened.

Divide batter evenly between pans and bake for about 1 hour. (I usually pull mine out at 45 minutes and they are perfect, so watch the time near the end of baking.) Cool 10 minutes in pans on wire rack.

Loosen sides of loaves from pans and remove from pans to continue cooling on wire rack. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 4 days, refrigerated up to 10 days.

Frozen Fruit Salad

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup water

3 small cartons frozen strawberries

1 large can crushed pineapple

4 sliced bananas

Mix fruits together. Boil sugar and water for 3 minutes. Cool and pour over fruit. Pour in paper muffin cups in pans. Freeze. Set out 10 minutes before serving. Makes 24 cups.

Banana Bread

1 cup sugar (I use 1/2 cup white & 1/2 cup brown)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
3 bananas mashed
2 eggs well beaten
1 tsp baking soda
1 TB hot water
2 cups flour
1/2 cup nuts (chopped) - optional
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Cream sugar, salt & shortening well. Add mashed bananas, beaten eggs & soda dissolved in hot water. Add flour until mixed. Add nuts last. Pour into greased baking dish. I find this recipe bakes better in a casserole bake dish or 9 x 11 dish than in a loaf pan. Loaf pan (at least 40 min) Casserole dish (30 min) 9 x 11 dish (20 min). Just check with a toothpick.