Servings: 2 loaves, each makes 10 generous slices
Start to finish: 1 hour, 15 minutes (Active time: 15 minutes)
Pan: 8 x 4 x 2.5 -inch loaf pans, disposable aluminum pans work very well.
3 large and very ripe, “brown” bananas (you can use 4 small bananas)
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 large eggs
3/4 cup Crisco all-vegetable oil
1-2cups toasted walnut halves, coarsely chopped plus more halves for decorating
Flour and Oil Baking Spray
Toast walnuts in the oven at 250 F for about 15-20 minutes. Remove and let cool. Get oven to 325 F.
Meanwhile, mash bananas with a fork and add all but 1/2 cup of the sugar. Mix and add vanilla. Continue mixing until the mixture is completely smooth.
In a separate large bowl, measure flour and stir with a whisk or fork to aerate. Place 1/2 cup of sugar in the bowl. Add baking soda, salt, cinnamon and whisk well.
In a third bowl, mix eggs and oil with a blending fork until emulsified.
Using a fork, mix eggs well with the flour mixture. Add banana mixture to the egg-flour mixture and stir with a fork until completely combined. Add chopped walnuts and pour batter into prepared loaf pans, using a baking spray so that the bread doesn’t stick to the pan. Decorate the top with walnut halves.
Bake for about 60 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let sit in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.
Can be served warm or completely cooled.
Nutrition information per serving: 256 calories; 133 calories from fat; 14 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 32 mg cholesterol; 163 mg sodium; 27 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 17 g sugar; 3 g protein.
Elizabeth Karmel, Associated Press
