Banana Sour Cream Loaf

2/3 c butter or margarine
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c mashed very ripe bananas; (about 3)
2 3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c sour cream
1 c chopped pecans or walnuts; (optional)

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and bananas and beat until well blended. Sift together flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Add alternately with sour cream to banana mixture, stirring just to blend.

Stir in nuts. Spoon batter into greased and floured (I just use Pam) loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes or until toothpick comes our clean. Let stand in pan for at least 10-15 minutes.

Banana And Pecan Loaf

110 g unsalted butter; (4oz)
110 g caster sugar; (4oz)
2 eggs
110 g plain flour; (4oz)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
55 g whole wheat flour; (2oz)
3 large ripe bananas
2 drop vanilla essence; (2 to 3)
55 g chopped pecans; (2oz)

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time beating well. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon. Sift until thoroughly combined. Stir in the whole wheat flour. Mash the bananas with a fork then stir into the mixture and add the vanilla and pecans. Pour the mixture into a prepared loaf tin and smooth the top until level. Bake at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 until a skewer comes out clean 50-60 minutes, cool on a wire rack.

Holiday Banana Loaf
Yield: 12 Servings
Source: Company's Coming for Christmas by Jean Par‚ (1996)

1/2 c soft butter; OR
1/2 c hard margarine, softened
1 c granulated sugar
2 lg eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c coconut flakes; (fine)
1/2 c maraschino cherries; chopped
1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 c mashed banana

Cream butter and sugar well. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Stir. Measure first amount of flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into separate bowl. Stir. Toss walnuts, coconut and cherries with second amount of flour in third bowl. Add flour in 4 additions alternately with banana in 3 additions, beginning and ending with flour. Add fruit mixture. Mix only until blended. DO NOT OVER MIX. Turn into greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pans. Bake in 350F. oven for 50 to 60 minutes until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean. Let stand for 20 minutes. Turn out onto rack to cool. Makes 1 loaf.

Nana's Cure-All Banana Loaf

1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 c sugar
1/3 c butter
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 c honey
1 tsp orange zest
2 eggs
3 lg overripe bananas, mashed
3/4 c chopped black walnuts
1/4 c chopped dates (opt)

Preheat the oven to 350'F. Sift together into a bowl the flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, cream the sugar, butter, vanilla and honey and add the orange zest. Beat in the eggs and bananas. Gradually add the sifted ingredients to the banana mixture. Fold in the nuts and dates. Pour the batter into a greased 9x5" bread pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and eat.