JANUARY 2003

“Making Banana Nut Bread”
—Presented by Residential Habilitation Services

Now that the holidays are over and you begin to settle in for the remainder of the winter, there’s no better activity to warm up your home like baking! This recipe is great to make in the morning and then invite some friends over for afternoon tea and bread, or later after dinner, for coffee and bread. Before going to the store to purchase your baking supplies, check your kitchen cabinets to see if you have any of the ingredients on hand.

SUPPLIES/INGREDIENTS NEEDED:
3 medium sized mixing bowls
1 electric hand held mixer
Measuring cups and teaspoons
9 x 5 pan bread or loaf pan
Stirring Spoon
1 fork and knife
Toothpick (optional)
Apron Oven mitts
Aluminum foil or plastic wrap

2 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup of Flour
1/2 cup butter (at room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
vegetable oil or solid shortening to grease baking pan

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2: Gather all of the necessary items. Remember to put on your apron!

Step 3: Peel bananas, cut into small pieces, and place in bowl. Using a fork, mash bananas. Set aside.

Step 4: Using one of your measuring cups, measure 1 1/2 cupS of flour and pour into a medium sized bowl. Next, add 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix ingredients. Once mixed, set bowl aside.

Step 5: Measure 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and pour into a measuring cup. Crack two eggs, one at a time, into measuring cup.

Step 6: Measure 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup of sugar. Pour into mixing bowl.

Step 7: Plug in electric mixer. Using a hand held electric mixer, blend the butter and sugar. Remember to scrape the sides of the bowl often so all of the butter mixture is being blended into the batter.

Step 8: Start to pour the egg and vanilla extract mixture into the butter mixture. Continue to blend with electric mixer. While blending the ingredients, begin to add the mashed bananas to the mix.

Step 9: Using a large or medium sized spoon (whichever you are more comfortable with), add the dry ingredients, flour, salt and baking soda, into the batter. Mix ingredients thoroughly for approximately 3 to 5 minutes or until the flour has completely blended into the mix.

Step 10: Add the 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts into the batter and stir in.

Step 11: Grease baking pan lightly with a small amount of vegetable oil or solid shortening. Use a clean paper towel or piece of wax paper to get the oil into all corners of the pan. Grease well, but do not put in an excess amount.

Step 12: Pour batter into the greased pan, scraping sides of bowl to get all the batter into the pan. Place pan in oven on middle rack. Remember to wear oven mitts while placing into the oven. It is best to be safe when working near a stove or oven.

Step 13: Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 to 45 minutes or until you insert a wooden toothpick into the center of the bread and it comes out clean.

Step 14: Once out to the oven, let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 to 15 minutes. Using a dinner knife, gently run the knife outside the bread to loosen from the pan. Carefully turn the pan upside down over a plate and gently shake to remove from pan. Be careful, the sides and bottom of the bread may still be hot.

Step 15: Once completely cool, store the bread in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

While the bread is baking, begin to clean up your kitchen. Clean and put all of the used items back in their proper places. Serve your banana nut bread with some fresh grapes or berries. For a dessert, top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. Slice the bread into individual serving sizes, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze. When you want a quick snack, remove a slice and it will defrost at room temperature in 10 to 15 minutes. Enjoy!