Banana Bread

I've tried numerous banana bread recipes over the years, and this is the one I finally settled on as my go-to recipe.  Its easy and its a great way to use up your over-ripe bananas.  I usually bake my bread in three small loaf pans, but it works fine in a large loaf pan as well.  Shorten your cooking time if you choose the small pans.  Unless you like really dry bread....

Banana Bread
(makes one regular size loaf, or three small ones)

2 tsp. butter
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup light olive or your favorite cooking oil
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
4 med. sized ripe bananas, mashed well
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. milk or cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

(1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
(2) Prepare a loaf pan by coating it well with the butter
(3) Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
(4) With a mixer, combine the oil, sugar, eggs, banana, vanilla and milk or cream.
(5) Add the flour and mix until just combined.  Stir in nuts if using.
(6) Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out dry (about 1 hour and 15 minutes)
(7) Cool ten minutes before removing from the pan, then remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.