Banana Nut Bread

I make banana bread quite often, but I never seem to use the same recipe more than once. I just haven't found one that I really love. Until now! My friend Angie brought me a loaf of this banana bread a few weeks ago and it was wonderful. Really simple but really good. I asked her for the recipe. Here it is.

Grandma's Banana Nut Bread

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter

2 eggs

1/2 c. sour milk (add 2 Tbs. of vinegar to enough milk to make 1/2 cup)

3 mashed bananas

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/4 c. flour

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Beat sugar and butter together. Add eggs and milk. Stir in mashed bananas. In a separate bowl, mix baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour together. Add to banana mixture and stir just until combined. Stir in nuts. Pour into greased loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. (I made four mini loaves out of this recipe, so it would make two regular loaves, I think. I cooked the mini loaves for around 35 minutes.)

Cherry Eggnog Bread

3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. rum extract
1-1/2 cups eggnog
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup maraschino cherries
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and oil. Beat in the sugar, extracts and eggnog. Combine 2-1/2 cups four, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; gradually add to egg mixture. Toss the cherries with remaining flour; stir into batter. Fold in nuts.

2. Pour into two greased 8-in. x 2-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing pants to wire racks to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Ingredients

U.S.

Metric

Conversion chart

• Cooking spray
• 1 1/4 cup(s) (5.35 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/2 cup(s) creamy peanut butter (do not use "natural")
• 2/3 cup(s) sugar
• 3 large ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup(s) chopped walnuts or chopped pecans (optional)
• 1/2 cup(s) miniature chocolate chips (optional)

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Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mist a 5 x 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt with a fork. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat the peanut butter and sugar together until well blended, about 2 minutes. Beat in the mashed banana and eggs; mix well.
3. Using a wooden spoon or flexible spatula, stir the flour mixture into the peanut butter–banana mixture, mixing until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula if needed. Stir in the chopped nuts and/or chocolate chips, if using.
4. Pour the batter into the pan and gently smooth the top with the flexible spatula. Bake 45 minutes. Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes in the pan.
5. Remove the bread by running a paring knife around the inside of the pan to loosen it, then inverting the pan to release the bread onto a wire rack. Carefully turn the bread right-side up and cool completely. Slice and serve. Wrap any leftovers tightly in plastic wrap and foil; keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

For those of you with mixers it definitely will be easy, but on the other hand you won't have the tommy-gun forearms that I have!
And also I thought about putting pumpkin in instead of banana, I might try that next time!

Orange Cranberry Bread

This recipe is from last year's Taste of Home Best Holiday Recipes magazine. I made this a few days ago and froze one loaf. It's still really moist even after freezing - I think the apple gives it a great texture.

Orange Cranberry Bread

2-3/4 c. flour
2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
3-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
1 c. milk
1/2 c. orange juice
3 Tbs. canola oil
2 to 3 tsp. grated orange peel
2 c. coarsely chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
1 large apple, peeled and chopped

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk the egg, milk, orange juice, oil and orange peel; stir into dry ingredients just until blended. Fold in the cranberries and apple.

2. Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.