Is it time to use up the overripe bananas in your fruit basket? Yes? Great timing! This banana bread recipe is so easy you can do it with your eyes closed. The hardest part about it is that it will be in the oven for an hour or more and that the aromas floating through the house will have you mouthwatering for at least half of that time. And your spouse and children and grandchildren, if you have them, will be hovering about with impatience. Because... who doesn't love banana bread?

For 1 large loaf (TIP: please don't use an electric mixer for this - use a wooden spoon to make the dough)

• You will need:
  • 2 mixing bowls
  • large cake/bread form
  • butter to grease the form
  • preheat the oven to 160C or 320F
  • download conversion chart
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 3 large overripe bananas or 4 smaller ones, mashed to a pulp with a fork
• 1 cup sugar including 1 packet of vanilla sugar
• 1/2 cup neutral tasting vegetable oil (such as colza, arachide, grapeseed, or sunflower)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Zest of one orange
• Optional: you can make it a banana-nut bread by adding 1/2 cup or so of lightly crushed pecan nuts or walnuts

Bowl 1: dry ingredients

• Add flour
• Add sugar
• (optional: add pecan -or walnuts)
• Mix together

Bowl 2: wet ingredients

• Beat eggs into the bowl (lightly is okay)
• Add vanilla extract
• Add oil
• Add the mashed bananas
• Stir well

Combine

• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients
• Stir well
• Zest an orange into the batter
• Stir again
• Poor into buttered cake/ bread form

Bake

• 160C or 320F for 60 to 75 minutes (depends on your oven)
• After 50 minutes begin testing the bread by inserting a knife or a skewer to test for doneness.
  • Set your timer every five minutes after that to test again
• When knife or skewer comes out clean, the banana bread is done

Serving suggestions

Now the challenge is to let the banana bread cool down before you start cutting into it! Serve in slices with coffee or tea (or milk) and for extra goodness, with butter. But that's optional.

Enjoy!
Bren