the best things: strawberry-banana bread

Strawberry-Banana Best Ever Bread

adapted from The Bon Appetit Fresh Easy Fast Cookbook

When I say this is the best ever banana bread, I am not joking. Super ripe bananas make this bread super moist. Only have one ripe-ripe banana? Use a carton of apple sauce as a substitution for the missing banana. The walnuts can be traded out for pecans - if you so desire. I decided to add in a cup of chopped fresh strawberries at the very end. Very last minute, but ended up making the bread totally delectable. Make sure to enjoy a slice, warmed, and with a thick layer of soft butter or cream cheese. Bon appetit!

2 ripe medium bananas, mashed

2 large eggs

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup chopped fresh strawberries

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325˙F. Butter and flour 9x5x3 inch metal loaf pan (Keep it easy and spray with non-stick spray). Whisk bananas and eggs in large bowl to blend. Add all remaining ingredients and stir to blend well. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake bread until top is golden brown and splits slightly and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes (Check at 1h10... some ovens cook faster than others). Cool in pan on rack 20 minutes. Turn bread out onto rack and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

One at a time: This recipe doesn't double well. To make two loaves, you'll need to make two separate batches of batter.