What do you do when the bananas are getting really dark and squishy and the fruit flies start to zoom around the kitchen? DON’T throw the bananas in the garbage can! Stick them in the refrigerator (or freezer) until you can whip up a batch of banana bread!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
2 eggs
3 VERY RIPE bananas, mashed (minus the peels, please)
1/2 cup buttermilk (see note below)
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° with oven rack in lowest position.
Grease bottom of 9x5x3 loaf pan.
Mix sugar & butter until light & fluffy at medium speed.
Add eggs & mix until blended.
Add banana mush, buttermilk & vanilla. Mix at medium speed until smooth.
Stir in dry ingredients (flour, baking soda & salt) until just moistened.
Spoon batter into pan.
Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Cool loaf in pan for 10 minutes on cooling rack.
Loosen sides of loaf from pan, remove from pan and place top side up on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Note: No buttermilk? Put 1/2 cup of milk in a glass measuring cup. Add 1 T lemon juice and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Mix well. Now you have a great buttermilk substitute.

I almost always double the recipe and make 2 loaves. They never last long in my house and make great gifts for friends, neighbors and teachers. In fact, the 2 loaves I made just a couple days ago are almost gone. They do freeze nicely, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.

Share your pictures and reviews!

Catherine