Classic, Old-Fashioned Banana Nut Bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/175C. Add butter to a 4×8 inch loaf pan and melt the butter in the oven. In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas. Mix in baking soda and salt. Stir in sugar. Push this mixture to one side of the bowl. Add the egg and beat lightly. Mix beaten egg with other ingredients. Add vanilla and finally mix in flour. The original recipe does not call for nuts, but I added 1 cup chopped walnuts. Add them now, if using. 

Liberally butter your baking pan and add the batter. I also topped the batter with about 2 Tbsp. of Demerara brown sugar and a healthy sprinkling of cinnamon, which the original recipe did not call for.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until top is golden brown and inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes.

Then remove bread from the pan and let it cool completely before slicing.

Using a bread knife helps keep slices from crumbling. Nice, big thick slices help, too!