Banana Bread

We are going to a work event for my husband tonight. He works for a really amazing company that treats those who work for them as true friends and family. Therefore, we are invited to an evening of appetizers and drinks at a home, followed by the Arcade Fire concert!  Not too bad for a Saturday night with work!

I always like to take a little something to a home when someone is hosting an event, as a thank you for hosting and please invite us back offering. Wine is always a great and easy choice. But I also wanted to bring something extra tonight. However, it is sometimes hard on the host if you bring an unanticipated dish for the party, as they then have to find a serving piece and a place to put your kind but often superfluous dish. Therefore, I often like to bring something for their breakfast the next morning. That way, they can put their feet up and enjoy a treat as they relax the morning after an evening of hosting.

I chose Banana Bread, not only because it is delicious and usually a crowd pleaser, but also because I had some bananas on hand, ripened past the point of edibility according to me (I only like fresh bright yellow bananas). I found this recipe on Food Network (click for the original recipe) and I have integrated some of the reviews written by fellow home cooks. It is usually worth the 10 minutes of perusing the reviews, I always find a great variation or tip along the way!

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Ingredients:
1 Cup of Granulated Sugar
1 Stick of Butter (the recipe calls for unsalted, but I used the traditional salted type as that is what was in my
   fridge and I always crave a bit more salt in sweeter recipes)
2 Large Eggs
2 Ripe Bananas (the original recipe calls for 3, but I only had two, therefore my bread will be a bit less
   banana flavored)
1 Tablespoon of Milk (I used Skim)
1 Heaping Teaspoon of Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon of Ginger (I added this to the recipe, you can add your favorite spices too)
2 Cups of All Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon of Salt
2 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar (optional topping)

Steps:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter (or use Pam) to grease a bread pan.
3. Cream together the stick of butter and the cup of sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy with a soft creamy white yellow color.

4. Beat in the two eggs to the creamed butter and sugar. It will be moist and more brightly yellow.

5. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until they are rather smooth in texture. Be sure to remove any stings or pieces that will not mash and integrate into the rest of the mixture.

6. Add into the mashed bananas the tablespoon of milk and the teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of ginger (or your own chosen spices). Mix by hand until integrated.

7. Add the banana mixture to the creamed sugar and butter mixture and stir until combined.

8. In a separate bowl combine the 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt.

9. Add the flour mixture to the creamed/banana mixture and stir until just combined.

10. Pour the batter into your prepared bread pan and bake for about 35 minutes.

11. If you want, at 35 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle brown sugar on top and then return the pan to the over for another 10 minutes. Otherwise, leave the loaf in the oven for the full 45 minutes without removing it and do not add the brown sugar topping.

12. Remove the pan from the oven after 45 to 50 total minutes and let cool. You know the loaf is done when you insert a knife to the middle of the bread and the knife comes back out clean. Do not over bake, or you will have dry banana bread.

13. Remove the loaf from the pan and enjoy if this treat is for yourself!
14. If the bread is for someone else (as ours is), let the loaf cool a bit more after you remove it from the pan and then cover in plastic wrap and tie it up with a sweet ribbon!