Better Banana Bread

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 ripe speckled bananas
• 1 cup toasted and coarsely chopped pecans or 1 cup walnuts (don't leave it out) (optional)

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350 degrees (f) and adjust a rack to the center position.
• 2 lightly butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan (regular or nonstick).
• 3 whisk together the first four ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
• 4 place the eggs, sour cream, butter and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor.
• 5 process until the mixture is homogenous, about 30 seconds.
• 6 break up the bananas into 1 inch pieces and add them to the food processor.
• 7 pulse until the bananas are broken up but not quite puréed with small chunks remaining (about six 1 second pulses).
• 8 add the banana mixture along with the optional mandatory nuts to the dry ingredients.
• 9 using a rubber spatula, fold together until the dry ingredients are just moistened and no streaks of flour remain.
• 10 transfer to the prepared loaf pan and bake until the top is a dark golden brown with a cracked, domed top, and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes.
• 11 (start checking bread after 45 minutes.) cool for 5 minutes before removing bread from pan.
• 12 continue to cool on a wire rack for several minutes more.
• 13 serve warm or at room temperature.