I have an old cookbook that was my mom’s that I still use. The copyright date on it is 1963 but the pictures all look like something out of a 1950’s TV sitcom. The book is full of all kinds of helpful information such as cooking vocabulary, how to measure stuff, how to store stuff, and even a section on wine. Very handy.

Anyway, I wanted to share my version of the banana bread recipe from the book. This is a favorite of mine (and those I share the bread with). I’ll start with the list of ingredients:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons wheat bran
oat bran
2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup salt-free butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed, ripe bananas (about 2 or 3 depending on their size)
Spices: cinnamon, nutmeg (fresh ground is best), and a little vanilla extract

Thoroughly grease (I use Crisco here) a 9″x5″x3″ loaf pan, making sure to cover every nook and corner then dust it with flour. Start the oven heating to 350 degrees (F).
Cream the butter and sugar together. Once it is well mixed add the eggs and beat until light and fluffy (use a mixer as this takes about 4 minutes).
Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together.
Reduce the speed on the mixer to low and add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Then add about 1/3 of the mashed bananas, continue adding some flour and then some banana until everything is incorporated.
Pour the mix into the loaf pan. Sprinkle the oat bran on top of the loaf. Cook for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Because I use a glass loaf pan I reduce the cooking temperature to 325 degrees (F). If your not sure of your oven you might want to get an oven thermometer so you can see what the actual temperature is.

There are many ways to serve this bread. I love to heat a slice and put butter and honey on it. Carefully wrapped it will store well in the freezer for up to 6 months (mine never last that long), and it should keep in the fridge for up to a month (I only know this because I forgot part of a loaf and found that it was still good).

Happy baking!