I’m not ready for the holidays to be over yet. My system really loved the luxurious lifestyle of two four-day weekends in a row. I went to bed when I wanted to, I got up when I wanted to. I watched a horrifying amount of tv. And when the bananas on the counter became super brown, I made banana bread.

I didn’t have everything I needed for the recipe I found…so I adapted it to fit what I had on-hand. It wasn’t out of the oven yet before Doug and I were drooling.

Seriously Amazing Banana Bread

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup yogurt (I used vanilla, because that’s what was on hand!)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. With an electric mixer (or with a spoon if you want to be super jacked and have lots of extra time on your hands), cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. (It won’t look the same as white sugar + butter- that’s okay. Just cream until it’s fully incorporated, and make sure the butter isn’t melting against the side of the bowl!) Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter/sugar mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, yogurt, and vanilla; mix to combine. Pour into prepared pan.
4. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. You’re probably supposed to let it cool a bit, but good luck not diving in.

 

I hate hate hate walnuts in my banana bread, but if that’s your thing, mix them in after the bananas and yogurt are incorporated. I think mini chocolate chips, a swirl of Nutella, or coconut shavings would be delicious add-ins too, but believe me when I say that the plain loaf was mind-blowing.