The Bank's Banana Bread

It is amazing the effect that some people have on the rest of someone's life.....my first housemate introduced me to the concept of never throwing away too ripened bananas.  At the time, I worked at A & W Root Beer and they did a mean banana split.  As a result, there were old bananas all over the place!  And Diane suggested I bring them home to make banana bread!  That was approximately 1972.  Over 40 years later, my husband will notice ripened bananas and he knows there will soon be something good to eat!  (In looking up A&W, the menu didn't show banana splits!)

Last night was one of those nights, I should have been packing and cleaning the house, but those bananas were shouting my name......

Even after all this time, I still try new recipes instead of just doing a good recipe over and over.  So I got out a lovely cookbook published in 2003 by The Citizens Bank of Geneva.  This was Mom's bank the whole time she lived there and up until her death in 2012.  This was one of those lovely small town banks where you are very welcome when you enter and the feel of it is spacious and comfortable.  Nothing like modern banks that feel like institutions.

Sadly, the Citizens Bank no longer exists and has been taken over by the Bank of the Ozarks.  In trying to find a picture of the bank building, I came across the announcement of when the bank was taken over, the same day my Mom passed away -  December 31, 2012  The building still feels as welcoming, and there are still some of the previous employees there, but it is now part of a larger group so it no longer feels like a home grown bank.  Not sure how Mom would feel about the changes, but life goes on and you just have to go with the flow.

After I published this on Facebook and explained I could not locate any photos of the bank, either my own, or on the internet, one of my friends sent me this link, so you can see what a nice, small town bank it is!  Bank of the Ozarks  Thanks, Joni!

The name of the cookbook is "From Our Kitchens to Yours'" from The Citizens Bank of Geneva.  It is that sort of fundraising cookbook you see quite often, but it does not say what they are fund-raising for, maybe it was the bank!  I do have a note that I tried this recipe in January 2013 and it had 2 stars, but I never blogged it then.  That was only 2 weeks after Mom had passed away, actually surprised I was baking, but the bananas must have been there and I would have just done something with them.

The recipe I am going to share is on page 58 and was submitted by Sherrell Weeks.

As always, the same recipe will follow the one with photos and notes, and all measurements are mine and I hope I have done the conversions well enough for anyone to follow.  I actually made 2 loaves at the same time and one was with those conversions, so they should be ok!

I took one loaf to work today, only 3 people in the office due to folks being away on vacation.....but we managed to eat the whole thing.  Not a good idea really, but it was delicious!

Banana Nut Bread    Makes one loaf

2 1/2 cups / 383 g/ 13 1/2 oz  all purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)

1/2 cup / 113g/ 4 oz butter, softened 

1 cup / 296 g/ 10 1/2 oz sugar

3 large eggs

3 large ripe bananas

1/2 cup chopped pecans   (I consider adding nuts optional or add other things like chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350F, 170C.  Grease a loaf pan.

Yes, pink Himalayan Salt!  Not sure it makes any difference
in taste, but I love using it!

Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.












Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one.

Beat in bananas; gradually add flour mixture until well blended.

Also blend in nuts.  Or add chocolate chips, my family prefers these to nuts in banana bread!

Spoon batter into pan and cook for about 50 - 55 minutes or until done.

"With a piece of bread in your hand you’ll find paradise under a pine tree." – Russian Proverb

Banana Nut Bread    Makes one loaf

2 1/2 cups / 383 g/ 13 1/2 oz  all purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
1/2 cup / 113g/ 4 oz butter, softened 

1 cup / 296 g/ 10 1/2 oz sugar

3 large eggs

3 large ripe bananasSpoon batter into pan and cook for about 50 - 55 minutes or until done.1/2 cup chopped pecans   (I consider adding nuts optional or add other things like chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350F, 170C.  Grease a loaf pan.
Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one.
Beat in bananas; gradually add flour mixture until well blended.
Also blend in nuts.  Or add chocolate chips.
Spoon batter into pan and cook for about 50 - 55 minutes or until done.