Welcome Fall: Banana Nut Bread

Mmmmm...October is here already!  Autumn is my favorite season of the year.  Blue jeans, boots, hoodies or sweaters, boots, bonfires, football - and yummy fall food, of course!

My husband teaches at one of the area high schools, and I work for the local university.  Usually, I am fortunate enough to be able to take vacation when he is off for breaks.  For Fall Break this year, we travelled to Chicago for a few days, and now we are spending the week with my in-laws in Effingham, Illinois.  This afternoon, while Mom and Dad Walls were at work and Aaron was napping, I decided to do a little baking.  I have long sworn by the following banana nut bread recipe, and many claim that it is the best they have tasted (of course, my friends and family may be a bit biased, but I will take their praise anyway!)

Right now, we are enjoying still-warm slices of banana nut bread topped with a little butter, mugs of hot apple cider, and a little Cardinals baseball time!

The finished product - a few slices later!

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2  to 2 cups mashed bananas (about 5 medium)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I prefer walnuts, and am not real precise with the amount - typically 2 handfuls)
1 recipe Streusel-Nut Topping (to follow) - the topping is optional, but it really makes the recipe!!!

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and grease bottom and sides of one loaf pan (9x5x3).

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, bananas, sugar, and oil.  Add egg mixture at once to flour mixture.  Stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy).  Fold in nuts.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Sprinkle Streusel-Nut Topping over batter.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  To prevent over-browning, I generally cover loosely with foil the last 15 minutes of baking time.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack.

Streusel-Nut Topping: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup packed brown sugar and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour.  Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut in 2 tablespoons of butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbles.  Stir in 1/3 cups chopped walnuts.





Best served warm with a smear of butter!