Banana Bread by Martha Stewart

Here is another cookbook recipe, this time taken from the Martha Stewart Cookbook I bought years ago from a yardsale.

I always think of house arrest when someone mentions Martha and, to be fair, it's time to change that.

I browsed through her cookbook the other morning while O. was playing with things found in our computer desk drawers. Cords, a keyboard, videocam tapes, CD's... it all kept him occupied while I spent a good hour and a half dreaming of food.

Since I still had some leftover overripe bananas I decided to give her banana recipe a try. I added a teaspoon of cinnamon though, since that's how I fly. And no nuts. Because I love my husband.


Banana Bread by Martha Stewart

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
(1 tsp cinnamon)
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan or four small loaf pans.
2. With electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beating well.
3. Sift the dry ingredients together and combine with the butter mixture. Blend well. Add the bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Stir well. Stir in the nuts and pour into the prepared pan.
4. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack to cool.

I added the bananas to the butter mixture before adding dry ingredients. I feel it stirs easier that way. My bread was definitely done at 55 minutes, probably even earlier. Also, I covered the bread loosely with foil right after taking it out of the oven. It made it nice and moist right away.

Have you seen Martha's farm? If you haven't, go and see it here.
I have found my dream home!

p.s. This cookbook inspired me to start planning a Fall party, taking place in our backyard when the air is crisp and the apples are ready to be picked. We'll see in a couple of months where my idea goes...