Great Grandma’s Banana Bread

I just got back from a trip to Minnesota to see my family, I love visiting back home and bringing Archie back to see his grandparents. It can be hard living 1,400 miles away, for those of you wondering that would be a 21 hours drive… so we fly. This last visit back we got the chance to take my grandpa (Archie’s 92 year old great-grandpa) back to his old neighborhood in St. Paul for lunch.

Even though my grandpa only lives about 5 miles away he rarely gets back. My family took him to a local diner, the Capital View Cafe, which is properly named as it is on top of the bluff overlooking St. Paul and the Capital. The building where this favorite local diner is now used to be a bar back in his day. He was having a wonderful time reminiscing about getting drinks there when he was younger, and how he had an open credit account at the ice cream shop next door, and how the movie theater on the other side used to cheat the amount of money they would pay for movies.

We then drove around the neighborhood, past the house where he was born, the house he lived in for a majority of his childhood, his school, and then when he got older the house that he designed. We also passed other buildings from his childhood, we got to see where both of my great grandma’s had their beauty shops, the meat market, the drug store, and get this, the ice house. Can you imagine being alive now with all of the technology we have and remember having to go get ice for your ice box to keep your food cold!

With all of this reminiscing it was more then ironic that I had already prepared my family recipe for Great Grandma’s Banana Bread. Sometimes we have to take a step back and remember how extremely lucky we are to be living in the world we live in and I think a good old fashioned banana bread does that. I like to think about how something like this banana bread was strictly for saving those bananas that turned to quickly because they dare not waste the precious food that they had. And I think how lucky I am that I can put those old bananas into my freezer at my convince and make this delicious bread when it is easiest for me.

So in the honor of all grandparents and great grandparents everywhere, make Great Grandma’s Banana Bread, make both of the loaves, don’t half the recipe but instead bake one for you to enjoy and one to share, whether it is your family, coworkers, or neighbors; take a few minutes in this crazy world to relax and thank god for refrigerators.

TIPS & TRICKS:

• The blacker the bananas the better, if you have stashed bananas in the freezer give them time to thaw (or defrost in the microwave).
• Great Grandma’s Banana Bread works great in disposable bread pans, I like doing that for this recipe because it makes it super easy to share.

Yield: 2 loaves

Great Grandma’s Banana Bread

Print

classic banana bread just like grandma used to make

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 sour milk*
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 3 overripe bananas

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325º F. Lightly grease and flour two 9x5 inch bread pans.
2. In a large bowl add the eggs, shortening, sour milk, and sugar. Whisk to combine until smooth.
3. Add flour, baking soda, and salt, mix until batter forms.
4. Mash the bananas and stir into the batter until the bananas are fully combined.
5. Split the batter between the two bread pans, use a spatula to spread and smooth the batter evenly.
6. Bake 55-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.

Notes

*To make 'sour milk' add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup and then fill milk up to the 1/2 cup mark, then let sit for about 5 minutes before using.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 272Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 120mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 1gSugar: 28gProtein: 4g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

Did you make this recipe?

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Peace & Love

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

P.S. Looking for more baking recipes? Check out my Pumpkin Bread or my Banana Foster Filled Banana Muffins. 

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