Banana bread - when bananas go bad

Banana bread is the easiest thing to bake.

When bananas go bad. 

 It happens. You buy bananas, thinking you are going to eat them. Then your kid decides she doesn't like bananas this week, or you found some blueberries or nectarines more appetizing on your cereal, and there you are. Two pathetic brown bananas in the bottom of the fruit bowl. I am the kind of person who likes slightly green, firm bananas. Brown things that attract fruit flies do not appeal to me, with one exception. They create an opportunity to make banana bread. Banana bread is so easy. It takes less than ten minutes to whip up, and then an hour later you have a delicious treat.

I have always used Betty Crocker's recipe, but tried a slight twist today. Everything calls for buttermilk, which we don't have in Sweden. I usually just use milk. We do have something called Fil, which would probably work, but I never have at home. This time, I tried the yogurt plus milk approach.

I have taken to using vanilla powder instead of extract. I like how the little spots remind me of good vanilla ice cream. 

Just like pancakes and muffins - don't overstir.

Something about walnuts and bananas just fit together.

Cooling in pan for 5 minutes

Cooling on rack

Banana bread

1/4 c. (56g) butter, softened

1/2 plus 1/8 c. white sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract or 1/4 tsp. ground vanilla bean

2 overripe bananas

1/4 c. yogurt (plain or whatever - mine was lemon)

1 T. milk

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/4 c. flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 F/165 C. Grease the bottom only of an 8" bread pan with butter.

In mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until combined. Add egg and vanilla and beat. Break the banana into a few chunks and add, then add yogurt and milk. Beat until just tiny banana bits remain. With a spoon, stir in baking soda, salt, and flour until just moistened. Fold in walnuts. Pour into prepared pan and level the top a bit. 

Bake for about an hour (mine was 55 minutes) until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Let cool in pan for five minutes, then loosen around the edge with a knife and tip out, cooling on rack. That is to say, if you have the patience. Or you could just eat it. The slices do hold up a bit better if you let it cool a while before attacking it.