I discovered my favourite banana bread when I was a little girl learning to bake in my mother's kitchen.
Learning to cook with my mom was learning to play it by ear. Her variations and substitutes made me nervous, but always turned out amazing in the end. So when she "accidentally" snuck in some plain yogurt to my banana bread recipe from my children's cook book. I had a melt down. Tossed my apron on the Floor and stomped off to my room.
"That's not the recipe mom! You ruined it!" I protested.
Well she baked it and served it to my brother, his friends and my grand parents calling it Stevie's new secret recipe and winked at me.
"Don't call it that mom, I will not put my name on that bread. It's not mine I did not poison you all!" I was a very dramatic child.
To my surprise they all loved it.
The next time we had very ripe bananas , I asked her to hand me the yogurt.
Ladies and Gents. Listen to your mothers.
My favourite Banana Bread
2 cups of all purpose flour
3/4 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 or 4 very ripe bananas, mashed
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup plain yogurt ( or my favourite supermarket has a really nice banana yogurt for that extra banana flavour)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Additionally you can fold in walnuts, seeds, fruit or chocolate chips.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and generously grease a loaf pan.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Stir together the mashed bananas, eggs, butter, yogurt and vanilla in anorthern bowl. Fold the banana mixtures into the dry ingredients gently, do not overmix. At this point add in nuts, seeds or chocolate chips. It will be barely combined, thick and chunky.
Transfer the batter into the pan, smooth the top and bake about 50 - 55 minutes. It will be golden brown on top, and a toothpick pierced through will come out clear of batter.
Let stand for 10 - 15 min.
Enjoy.
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