Super Yummy Banana Bread

It's freezing here (literally; it's 20 out with lots of ice and snow on the ground) and I have a bunch of bananas that are pretty ripe. My husband likes them a little green, as do I, and while my little likes them ripe, she can't eat half a dozen bananas in the day or so before they go bad.

I can't bare to throw away good food and it's a perfect kind of day for baking, so banana bread it is!


Super Yummy Banana Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed (I use light)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature, beaten 
2 1/4 cups overripe bananas, mashed (about 5 medium bananas)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees (do it!). Grease a 9x5" loaf pan*.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a separate bowl mix butter, brown sugar and vanilla at med/high until fluffy (about 5 minutes).
• Mix eggs and bananas to butter mixture, on low until you have a well combined batter (a minute or two).
• Slowly add flour mixture to batter, stirring gently by hand, just until moist**. Pour batter into loaf pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean***. Allow bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. I rubber spatula is helpful to slide between the loaf and pan on all sides, just to be sure your loaf doesn't stick.

*I think everyone's idea of greasing is different. I just slice a pad of butter and use a paper towel to coat the pan.
**It's very important that you don't over mix the flour mixture into the batter, otherwise you'll wind up with a dense loaf that doesn't rise as it should.  
***If your toothpick isn't clean, but your bread looks/should be done, be sure to stick a couple places to be sure you're not hitting banana.


I won't always have time for pics along the way, as my little is usually at my feet when I'm cooking, but she was down for a snooze when I was doing this, so I got camera happy.

 
There was a little beggar tugging at my pant legs so I couldn't get a clear shot of the finished loaf:

Serves 12-15. Weight Watchers Points = 7/ea for 12 servings, 6/ea for 15 servings.