banana bread

I first came to China in 2007 for two weeks to visit a friend. Her internet wasn’t working well at the time and she didn’t have very many minutes on her international calling card. It took me a few days to finally contact my parents and let them know I was okay. Then, when I did actually call, I spent most of the time asking for my mom’s banana bread recipe. See, my friend had overripe bananas and I really wanted to make my favorite banana bread! My mom’s cookbook opens directly to this page. I wonder if there are any other recipes we use in that 40+ year old hardback tome. But the banana bread is my favorite. Ironically, when I moved to China, I unknowingly brought that notebook from 2007, complete with my chicken-scratch about the recipe. I keep the notebook in my kitchen now and continue to open its pages every time I want to make banana bread.

BANANA BREAD (makes 1 loaf)

1 ¾ cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
½ cup shortening
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
2 eggs, slightly beaten

HEAT oven to 350°F. Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in shortening. Mix mashed banana and slightly beaten egg. Stir into crumbly mixture.

POUR into greased and floured loaf pan (9x5x3).

BAKE 50 minutes to 1 hour (or until toothpick comes out clean).