Granny Ika's Banana Bread

I have very few memories of my father's mother (Iris Munro) who died when I was very young.  I do know that this recipe was hers - she gave it to my mom who in turn passed it on to me.  I've always loved this recipe - it is the real old fashioned type - easy to make with simple basic ingredients and it always turns out well.  I make it whenever I have bananas that are starting to become over-ripe as they produce the best results.

This is a recipe that HAS to be made by hand.  It benefits from a light touch and the bananas roughly mashed.  Once I was feeling lazy - I blitzed the bananas and used an electric mixer for the rest - the result was like a shop-bought clone rather than the lovely rustic farmhouse loaf I've always enjoyed.  When I make this I use my oldest most unpretentious utensils and pretend I'm living back in the 1940's!
 

The Recipe

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

4-6 bananas

1 tablespoon milk      

Cream the butter and add the sugar gradually beating in.  Add the unbeaten eggs in well.  Mix in the vanilla and banana pulp.  Sift in the flour and add the baking powder.  Mix the soda and salt with the milk.  Add this to the banana mixture. 

Pour into the loaf pan

Bake for 1 hour in an oven pre heated to 180C

  

Special tip - I always line the pan with tinfoil before I pour in the mixture. (Up end the loaf tin, mould the foil around it and then pop it inside.)  Use non-stick cooking spray and you don't need to grease the pan.  After baking the pan is still spotlessly clean and the foil can be kept wrapped around the loaf to keep it moist!