MADISON COUNTY'S BANANA (NUT) BREAD

I'm still trying to use up the bananas that didn't get eaten on Palm Sunday at church. I cooked as much as I could at first and froze it all and then froze the rest of the bananas. Since then I keep searching for as many different recipes as I can using bananas. So far I haven't heard any complaints about all of the banana treats.

The first Sunday, I shared Amish Banana Bread from my most popular post ever. Then the next Sunday I shared a Banana Bread recipe from the Stephenson's Apple Farm Restaurant. This past weekend I had planned to offer some more of Stephenson's bread, but changed my mind and decided to use some more of the frozen bananas. That meant I was on the lookout for a new recipe that I hadn't made so I could then share it with you here on my blog.

I only had to look through about five cookbooks before I picked up my Madison County Cookbook with Stories and Traditions of Winterset, Iowa and saw their Banana Nut Bread recipe. It must be a popular recipe in the county as two different names were credited with it - Shirley Bush and Rosemary Stuchel.

I liked that it used three bananas and was low on sugar with only 1/2 cup required. I considered using stevia for the sugar, but since I already had a sugar-free treat for the Cafe, I went on and used the real thing.

I had several compliments on the bread and the three loaves didn't last long. I cut them into 13 + slices.

 

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MADISON COUNTY'S BANANA (NUT) BREAD

1/2     cup (1 stick) margarine or butter

12      cup sugar

3        eggs

2-3/4  cups sifted flour

1-1/2  teaspoons baking powder

1/2     teaspoon baking soda

1        teaspoon salt

1-1/2  cups ripe mashed bananas (about 3 medium)

1/3     cup chopped walnuts 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 5 " loaf pan or three mini loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar til creamy.

Add eggs and beat well.

Sift together some flour and then measure 2-3/4 cups into a sifter. Add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt and sift twice to blend together.

Mash the bananas to measure 1-1/2 cups and add alternately with the dry ingredients mixing well after each addition

(3 parts dry ingredients and

2 parts banana beginning and ending with the dry ingredients)

Don't forget to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

Stir in nuts if using. I didn't.

Pour into one large loaf pan or divide evenly between three mini loaves. (I weighed each loaf as I filled them so they would be about even.)

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes for the large loaf or about 40 minutes for the mini loaves or until done.

Remove from pan(s) and cool on wire rack. I ran a knife around the inside of the pan to remove.

Can wrap with foil to store before serving or to freeze.

At the Cafe at PWUMC