Banana Walnut Bread

Who doesn't love a good banana walnut bread? It's such a hardy bread, great for a snack. This great little recipe takes a little over 1 hour, but well worth the wait.

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Total Time: 1 hr 15min

• Prep: 20 mins

• Cook: 55 mins

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Yield: 1 loaf

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Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for preparing the pan
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 very ripe bananas (with brown spots, just before going bad), peeled, and mashed with a fork (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces

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Directions

• Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl, set aside.
• Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a liquid measuring cup with a spout, set aside.
• Lightly brush a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan with butter. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with an electric hand-held mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Gradually pour the egg mixture into the butter while mixing until incorporated.
• Add the bananas (the mixture will appear to be curdled, so don't worry), and remove the bowl from the mixer.
• With a rubber spatula, mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated.
• Fold in the nuts and transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
• Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Turn the bread out of the pan and let cool completely on the rack.
• Wrap in plastic wrap. The banana bread is best if served the next day.