Thursday Recipe - Banananana Bread

I keep thinking, I'm sure I posted this recipe somewhere on this blog. But then I can't find it so I must not have posted it. The older I get, the less I can remember anyway.

So here's a great recipe for banana bread. Dress it up or leave it plain. We like to serve it with cream cheese.

Banana Bread

3 - 4 medium-size very-ripe bananas
2/3 c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 T. softened butter
3/4 c. milk
1 egg
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. white flour

Cream bananas with sugar until smooth. Add baking powder, salt, butter, milk, and egg. Beat on low speed until well blended. Stir in flours by hand.

Grease 1 large loaf pan or several smaller ones. Scoop batter into pans, filling them about halfway. Bake at 350° for 55 - 65 minutes for large loaf, 40-50 for smaller pans, 20-25 for muffins. Cool 5 minutes, turn out on rack to cool the rest of the way.

Variations:
Orange spice - Substitute orange juice for the milk. Add 1 t. nutmeg, 1 t. cinnamon, and 1 t. orange zest with the sugar.
Spice bread - Stir in 1 t. cinnamon, 1 t. ginger, 1/2 t. nutmeg, and 1 t. vanilla extract with the sugar.
Chocolate chip - Add 1 t. vanilla extract with the sugar. Stir in 1 c. mini-chocolate chips with the flours.
Nut bread - Add 1 c. chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds) with the flours.
Choco-peanut - Add 1/2 c. cocoa and 1/4 c. peanut butter with the sugar, reduce whole wheat flour to 1 c. Omit butter.
Dairy-free - substitute your favorite milk-like beverage for the milk. Or use water. I wouldn't use cola, though it might give you an interesting taste.