The best Banana Bread Ever

I didn't cook dinner (or lunch or breakfast even!) today. We were really good the last two weeks and didn't eat out, not even once, so we treated ourselves today. :)

I owed a good friend something "handmade" and I don't do much besides cook. I don't knit, sew, scrapbook or any of that nonsense, I cook. I was more than happy to make her banana bread. I love the way my house smells after making banana bread. So while this blog is about dinner, this post isn't. This post is about the best banana bread ever.

It comes from this cookbook:

This is the best cookbook for the old fashioned basics. I love this cookbook.

Here's the recipe-- enjoy!

Directions:Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 1 1/4 hr

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3 bananas
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and set aside.

2 In another bowl combine egg, bananas, sugar and cooking oil. Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts.

3 Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven 50-55 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and cool on rack. Wrap in plastic wrap and store overnight until serving.

P.S. That last part is hard, but storing the bread in plastic wrap overnight makes it about a 1,000 times better.