BANANA, SOUR CREAM, AND WALNUT LOAF

Just when I think I couldn't find another really good banana bread recipe, I surprise myself and do. 

Saturday I worked the first shift at Hillcrest Thrift Shop. I don't always take a treat for the volunteers when I go in on Saturday and this time I didn't either. Mark asked me what dessert I had brought and I had to tell him I was bad and hadn't made anything. He was sweet and told me that that was okay. 

About 15 minutes later Jerry walked by the front doors outside and waved. Then it hit me. He and his wife Sharon work on Saturdays. They used to work on Tuesdays and enjoyed my treats. (Sharon works upstairs but he would take her a serving.) Recently she commented on one of my postings on Facebook that she needed to learn my schedule because she always missed out. Nothing would do me but I came home and later that evening made this recipe and took them one of the mini loaves at church Sunday.

I had the bananas that I needed to use and all of the other ingredients so thought it would be perfect to try. It is so darn good.

The recipe was from Mrs. Charles T. Donley from the Flenniken Public Library in Carmichaels, PA.This cookbook called 1992 Hometown Collection America's Best Recipes has so many good recipes in it.

BANANA SOUR CREAM AND WALNUT LOAF

2/3         cup butter or margarine, softened (I did use butter)
1-1/3       cups sugar (I did reduce this to 1 cup)
2-3/4     cups all - purpose flour
1              teaspoon baking powder
1              teaspoon baking soda
1/2          teaspoon salt
2             eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/2       cups mashed bananas (about 4 bananas)
1/2          cup sour cream (I used fat-free)
1              cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 5 x 3 - inch loaf pan. (I used 4 mini loaf pans.)

Cream butter; then gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed of an electric mixer.

Combine flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt in another bowl with a whisk.

Combine eggs, banana, and sour cream and stir well.

Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, alternately with banana mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. (I do 3 additions of dry and 2 additions of liquid.) Mix until blended after each addition.

Stir in walnuts.

Pour batter into larger loaf pan or divide evenly between smaller pans. Bake larger loaf for 1 hour and 15 minutes (Mrs. Donley's directions) or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. I cooked my mini loaves about 40 maybe 45 minutes. I started checking it at 30 minutes but that was too early. She says to shield with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. The edges did start to get brown with my mini loaves.

Let cool in pan 10 minutes

and then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.