Going Bananas!

I never worry about bananas turning brown.  It's the prefect excuse to make a loaf of banana nut bread, or banana bread in our case.  I've tried many recipes but the "old family recipe" is the best I have made.  For whatever reason the title of the recipe is Mother Mac's Banana Nut Bread.  I called my Nana to find out the reason behind the name.

She got the recipe in 1969 from the home economics teacher at Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  This was where she first started teaching.  The home ec. teacher got the recipe from her gas bill.  My how things have changed!  Back then when you got the Oklahoma Natural Gas bill they would print a recipe on it.  She said that some years back she saw this same recipe in the newspaper.  She told me it must have a history behind it because over the years she has meet many people who use this recipe.  This "Mother Mac" made some mean banana nut bread.  Anyway, this is the only recipe my mom will use and it seems like I'm passing on the same tradition to our family.  I guess, you don't mess with perfect!

Mother Mac's Banana Nut Bread

2 cups flour, sifted

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt 

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. allspice

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup shortening (or butter)

2 eggs

3 large ripe bananas, mashed

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and allspice together in a bowl.  With an electric mixer, cream sugar and shortening or butter until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and mix.  Add mashed bananas and vanilla and mix.  Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined.  Stir in pecans if wanted.  Pour batter into loaf pan or bunt pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 - 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool for 15 minutes and remove from pan.  

I'm using butter instead of shortening.  Sometimes when something has too much butter it can seem heavy.  The shortening makes things light.  But .. I just really like butter!  Older recipes always used shortening for baking.  It was new and everyone used it!  Butter works perfect for this and honestly its better for you than shortening if that makes any sense at all!  Also, I didn't have enough granulated sugar so I used 1/2 cup of brown sugar instead.  Brown sugar is used to make things moist so it might make this recipe even better. 

I had four large bananas and I used them all.  It won't make a difference to have a little extra banana.

If the recipe says beat until light and fluffy DO IT!  Don't hesitate to turn that mixer up and beat the heck out of it.  It really needs to be "light and fluffy"!  This is also a must with cookies!    

Here it is!!!  It's pretty darn good!  Adda will be excited to try this piece when she wakes up from her nap.  If it's still there!?  Breakfast for Gonzo for the next few days!  Thank you, very soft and dark brown bananas!  DELICIOUS!  Try it!  I promise you'll love it.  If you have an "old family recipe" feel free to share it with me.  Oh, and the brown sugar made it great!  Don't know that it changed the recipe much but it tastes just like it always has!  And one more thing... use salted butter!  The contrast of the sweet bread and salty butter melted on top it just plain GOOD!