Best Banana Bread

I am a huge fan of banana bread. My mom always made the best, and when I went off to college, she sent me the recipe so I could make it. Whenever I buy bananas, I purposely let three ripen so I can use it in the bread. It's my favorite breakfast food.

Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3-4 medium bananas, very ripe and peeled
• 2/3 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Butter (a little)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease the 8-1/2" x 4-1/2" loaf pan with butter.

2. In a medium bowl, using the wooden spoon, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

3. In a large bowl, smash the bananas with the fork. Add the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla and beat with a wooden spoon until well blended.

4. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture. Stir until just blended. 

5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly with a wooden spoon. Put the pan in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a rack to cool for 20 minutes.

6. Gently run a table knife along the inside edge of the pan to loosen the bread from the sides. Using oven mitts, turn the pan on its side and slip the loaf out onto the cooling rack. Let the loaf cool for 15 minutes before serving.

And there you have it! The best banana bread I've ever had! It really is delicious. So soft and light. Drink it with a little milk and it makes the perfect breakfast.