Grandma's Banana Bread

My Grandparents lived in an old Victorian home built at the turn of the century in a quaint little Midwestern town. They restored and renovated their home, along with the little, and I mean little, Victorian town they lived in. Their group of friends eventually made their way to an old historical hotel on main street in Waterville, Kansas that they restored to full working order and can be stayed in to this day.

My grandparents and their friends enjoyed preserving the history of their town and the culture of that time. They created a day called Victorian day, where the entire town shifted back to the turn of the century. The women and men wore elaborate outfits, fitting of the time along with horse drawn carriages, perfectly preserved Victorian home tours, and a High Tea in the Historical Weaver Hotel, built in 1868.

People flocked to the High Tea and the food was fabulous. Countless people were always asking for recipes and wondering how to make these timeless treasures. On the 10-year anniversary of Victorian Days, my family created an assemblage of recipes and the accoutrements from the cherished High Tea.

This Banana Bread recipe is from that special cookbook. I've been making it for years and years. This recipe is full of nostalgia for me. The only thing I have changed about the recipe, is cut the sugar amount in half. I am really cautious in the sugar intake of my kids, so over the years I've tailored down the amount. If you want it to taste like cake, use a full cup of sugar, but I've found 1/2 cup of sugar is a perfect amount. I love that I get to pass of this fun bit of family history and memories off to my children.

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Banana Bread

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup butter, softened

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 large egg

• 3 tablespoons whole milk

• 2 cups flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 cup mashed banana

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Cream butter, sugar and egg in a large bowl until light and fluffy.

• Mix together dry ingredients and set aside.

• Add milk, vanilla and mashed b anana to the large bowl. Incorporate well.

• Add the dry ingredients in two batches, mixing in between only until just incorporated, ensuring not to over mix the batter.

• Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, then lower the oven to 325 degrees and bake for another 20-30 minutes until a tester comes out clean.

• Allow to cool slightly before removing from the pan. finish cooling on a rack.

• Store on the counter. This freezes very well.

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Let me know if you've tried this or have any questions. I love helping and I hope you enjoy!