Banana Bread

There is something comforting about the smell of banana bread baking. I love the way the sweetness lingers in the air for a few hours. I love the way the loaves look, cooling on the counter. I love the reaction from the kids when they come home and smell it as soon as they come through the door. The glee on their faces as they spot one of their favorite treats cooling on the counter. Then the delicious agony of deciding between a slice with chocolate chips or without. Okay, better have one of each.

I made this recipe for Super Moist Banana Bread from the Secret Recipes cookbook, and it is just that. Super Moist. It is wonderful. It is perfect banana bread. The brown sugar and sour cream and Dream Whip...make it....well....they make it perfect.

I peel the bananas and  break them into 3 or 4 pieces each and put one banana at a time into a big bowl. I use a potato masher to mash them a few times until they are soft and gooey.

The recipe makes 2 loaves. I used one regular bread pan and one fancy bread pan that a dear friend gave me. It is heavy and has loveliness molded into the top. It is one of those awesome bread pans that you can get at cool kitchen stores like William Sonoma. (The air is different in those stores and my heart speeds up just walking through the door.) The loaf always comes out perfect and beautiful. I love to use this bread pan, especially if i am giving the loaf away. It makes it extra special (as if warm banana bread isn't wonderful enough) to have the beautiful design on the top.

I added chocolate chips this time. Sometimes I put mini chocolate chips in half the batter. One loaf with chocolate chips, one loaf without. I think I'll put mini chocolate chips in both next time. Well...maybe. Delicious with chocolate. Delicious without. I can still smell it.

Super Moist Banana Bread

1 C. sugar
1 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. oil
3 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla
1 12-oz. carton sour cream
4 ripe bananas
2 ½ C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
1 env. whipped topping mix (Dream Whip)
1/2 - 2 C. coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two loaf pans with non-stick spray or grease and flour them.
Cream together sugars, oil and eggs. Add vanilla. Add sour cream and bananas, mix well with mixer. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and powdered whipped topping. Add dry mixture to wet mixture and mix well. Stir in nuts. For an extra something, I’ll sometimes add chocolate chips or flavored coffee creamers (Amoretto, hazelnut, etc).  Just add whatever to match your mood or the season. Pour into prepared pans. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. 2 loaves.

This recipe comes from Jaelynne Nebeker from Westminster, Colorado. Thank you, Jaelynne.