This is my favorite, so light in texture, a mixture of various recipes. You can halve this; I make it this way, give lots to friends:
Banana Bread
2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 ½ Tablespoons ground dry ginger (OR 1 large finger of ginger, peeled, grated with juice and 2 heaping teaspoons dry ginger)
1 ½ cups chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups light brown sugar
7 large, ripe bananas, mashed
3 eggs, room temperature, beaten
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ lemon
Preheat oven to 350.
Grease and flour two bread pans. (Can use unflavored Pam, instead. I use Wilton’s Cake Release.) (I like to use Wilton’s 6 at a time little loaf pans, use 2 of these.)
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and dry ginger to remove lumps.
Stir in nuts, if using.
Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy, add mashed bananas, beaten eggs, lemon juice and grated rind, vanilla and fresh grated ginger … it will be lumpy.
Stir in flour mixture until just combined.
Pour into pans and bake 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. (If using little loaf pans, start checking after 25 minutes, mine take about 30 minutes … I rotate pans half way through.)
Let cool in pans 10 minutes before letting cool completely on a wire rack.
