Banana Bread

This family favourite is easy and very tasty. Freezes well (great to make on rainy days for when you have to be inside and save some for a picnic on a sunny day!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups mashed banana

1 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup shortening (I used the Crisco in a blue box)

2/3 cup sugar (I don't use the sugar. I substitute 1 Tablespoon of honey per loaf being made)

2 eggs (or egg substitute)

1/2 cup chopped pitted dates (I use Thompson Seedless Raisins instead of the dates).

1. Cream sugar (or honey) and shortening.

2. Add bananas and eggs.

3. Sift dry ingredients into the mixture.

4. Add dates (or raisins).

5. Stir.

6. Pour into greased (I use parchment instead of greasing the pans).

7. Bake for about 1 hour.

Signs of done: prick the center with a sharp knife and remove quickly~ no batter on the knife means it's done. The loaf should sound 'hollow' when tapped on the top (batter in the dough is dense and won't give you the same hollow sound). If the bread centre is not done, but the upper crust is baking too fast~ use some aluminum foil to lightly cover over the loafs which they finish baking.

Bread freezes very well. Batch is best made in no larger than a triple batch at a time (it gets heavy and hard to stir when it's more than 3 loaves).

Try the banana bread toasted!

Add other dried fruits (apricots, cranberries, etc.) for a new twist on an old favourite.

Serve warm with butter.

TIP: Banana's which are turning brown/black really quickly can be frozen for this recipe. To make it easier on your hands (instead of handling frozen or thawed mushy bananas); freeze your mashed bananas in baggies which are pre measured for the appropriate quantity per recipe.

TIP: Mash the banana's with a potato masher or fork. Leave a few chunks of banana to add flavour to your bread.

TIP: Using honey (I use 1 Tablespoon per loaf (2-3 Tbsp for a triple batch!) so that we reduce refined sugar in our diet and to taste the banana bread flavour more than "sugar" in the finished bread).

TRIPLE BATCH MEASUREMENTS: Banana Bread

This family favourite is easy and very tasty. Freezes well (great to make on rainy days for when you have to be inside and save some for a picnic on a sunny day!)

TRIPLE BATCH...make more in about the same amount of time and with only getting the baking done once! (one mess, triple the amount!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

4 1/2 cups mashed banana

5 1/4 cup flour

6 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup shortening (I used the Crisco in a blue box)

1 Tbsp honey (per loaf if you like, but I sometimes use 1 Tbsp for 3 loaves!!)

6 eggs (or egg substitute)

3/4 cup chopped pitted dates (I use Thompson Seedless Raisins instead of the dates).

1. Cream sugar (or honey) and shortening.

2. Add bananas and eggs.

3. Sift dry ingredients into the mixture.

4. Add dates (or raisins).

5. Stir.

6. Pour into greased (I use parchment instead of greasing the pans).

7. Bake for about 1 hour.

Signs of done: prick the center with a sharp knife and remove quickly~ no batter on the knife means it's done. The loaf should sound 'hollow' when tapped on the top (batter in the dough is dense and won't give you the same hollow sound). If the bread centre is not done, but the upper crust is baking too fast~ use some aluminum foil to lightly cover over the loafs which they finish baking.

Bread freezes very well. Batch is best made in no larger than a triple batch at a time (it gets heavy and hard to stir when it's more than 3 loaves).