CAROL'S MOM'S BANANA BREAD

Friend Carol served this banana bread to us at Mexican Train. Initially, I cut one of the "sandwiches" in half thinking that was all I had room for in my stomach. But it wasn't long before I knew I would be eating the other half. This banana bread is the lightest banana bread I have ever eaten. Carol said the recipe was one of her mother's. She (her mother) used 1/2 cup shortening in her recipe but Carol changed it to the butter and yogurt because she rarely has shortening.  I loved the added strawberry cream cheese spread between the two slices.

I made the recipe twice the other night.  The first time I omitted the nuts and gave the two loaves to my younger son and family. Banana Bread is 4 - year - old Granddaughter Madison's favorite. The next batch I made to keep and I put the nuts in it.  Yummy!

BANANA BREAD

2       cups flour
1        teaspoon baking soda
1/4    teaspoon salt
1        teaspoon cinnamon
1        teaspoon nutmeg
1/4    cup butter (1/2 a stick)
1/4    cup yogurt (plain or vanilla)
3/4   cup brown sugar
2       eggs, beaten
3       mashed bananas (1-1/2 cups)
1/2    cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray two 8 x 4 - inch loaf pans with cooking spray.

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Beat butter, yogurt, and brown sugar in large bowl until fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time to butter mixture.

Stir in mashed bananas.

Add mixture to the flour mixture and stir just til combined.

Stir in nuts.

Pour batter evenly into the two loaf pans.

Bake for 60 to 65 minutes.

Let cool in pans for 10 minutes.  Turn out to wire racks and finish cooling.

Carol sliced the bread and made a "sandwich" by spreading strawberry cream cheese spread between two slices.