Best Easy Banana Bread Recipe {yummy for my tummy}

I just love me some Banana Bread.  Ok, I can admit it.  I love BREAD.  It isn't quite as high up there on the YUM scale as cheese but it's up there and BANANA BREAD is a weakness. 

My name is Stephanie and I am a food  bread-aholic.  I haven't had bread for about 2 minutes now and I'm proud of that fact.

Ok, sorry getting lost in my own head again......

My recipe is Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy.

Ready?  Do you have a pen and paper? 

Pre heat the over to 350 degrees

Sift together:
1 3/4 cups Self Rising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend until creamy:
1/3 cup shortening (I've used butter when I don't have shortening and it was YUMMERS)
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind (if you don't have it don't stress but it really is good)
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Beat in:
2 beaten eggs
1 to 1 1/4 cups ripe banana pulp (I usually do a bit extra but don't get too carried away or it won't cook as well)

Add the sifted ingredients to the sugar mixture (usually adding about 1/3 at a time) beating the batter after each addition until smooth..

THEN fold in:
1/2 cup broken walnuts (or nut of your choice, get your mind out of the gutter.....pecans are a favorite of mine)

If you want to get really fancy add:
1/4 cup finely chopped dried apricots

Grease you up a bread pan and pour the yumminess in.

Now my favorite part:
Sprinkle the top with Cinnamon and sugar mixture and place broken nuts on top (pressing down slightly to help them stick to the bread)

Bake the bread for about 1 hour or until done.  (If you check with a toothpick make sure you didn't stab a piece of banana and thought the gooeyness was uncooked bread.  Not that I have EVER done that before, I don't even know why that came into my mind.  OKAY I have..... You guys just see right through me.


NOTE**(if you want to use all purpose flour then add 2 1/4 teaspoons doubt acting baking powder)
And don't forget, when you have bananas you are ready to toss because they are turning on you, throw (not literally) them in a zip lock bag and put them in the freezer, then you always have ripe bananas on hand when you want to make banana bread.

Now let it cool enough so that it won't fall to pieces when you cut it.  Not that I have EVER EVER not been able to control myself enough to wait for it to cool. 

ya...sure...whatever..

anyway...

When it cools enough, slice a piece off and drop a cube of butter on it...... OK not a cube but spread you some butter on .......wait for it to melt down into the bread and ENJOY!

And the heavens opened and the angels sing.........Hallelujah, Hallelujah.....Hallelu-u-u-jahhh....

Now jump in the air, slide down on one knee, throw your hands up in the air and yell "Super Star"

(I do the jump, slide, hands up in the air thing a few times....I consider that my work out so I don't feel so guilty about all the butter)

Enjoy!

Ciao Bellas~
Momma