buttery banana bread

Butter.

One whole stick, right into the bread.  Yes, a whole stick!

This recipe was created by a woman who loves butter so much that she actually makes deep fried butter balls. No, not me, but the Queen of Butter herself, Food Network star and author, Paula Deen. And because of that whole stick of butter that’s added, this banana bread is unbelievably moist.

It’s hard for me to describe how good it is. It’s sweet, banana-y, golden brown and crunchy on top, buttery and moist in the middle.

The second best thing about this bread (the butter is first) is that it is the easiest banana bread in the world to make. And ease is very important to me, crucial even, for me to even attempt to bake something. I don’t have the baking gene. I’m not good at the whole measuring-thing, which I hear is really important when baking. I do keep track of what I’m doing when I cook so I can give you my recipes with some measurements, but usually I don’t do it much.

Also, another reason you won’t find me baking away my free time is that I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. I know, weird.  I’m more of a salty-savory kind of girl.

A friend of mine was over recently and was going through my cabinets looking for something to satisfy his sweet tooth. After rifling through the pasta, rice and oatmeal, over the pine nuts, dried cranberries and chamomile tea, around the honey and behind the peanut butter, he came up empty-handed.

“What, no snacks?” he asked.  I shook my head. There were no cupcakes, doughnuts or cookies to be found.  No chocolate. “Your poor child.”, he said.

I giggled to myself. My daughter doesn’t even notice our lack of sweets because she doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth either. Give us a pizza any day over a piece of chocolate cake. Buttered popcorn with lots of salt?  We’re stayin’.

But I realize that not everyone is like us. You might love sweets, so I feel a bit badly for the lack of sweetness here at littleclove.

Yes there was that time that I made rhubarb fool (a year ago!)  and then our beloved biscotti (8 months ago!).  Hadley and I make chocolate chip cookies a few times a year, and of course we always have icecream in the freezer (Katherine loves icecream, especially chocolate chip cookie dough).

So when my friend Casandra told me about Paula’s fabulous banana bread, and how easy it was, and how delicious it was, and how she didn’t even have to write down the recipe because it was always in her head because it was so simple, I was curious.

5 minutes to make and done in 50.  I could do that!

I do love banana bread and so does Hadley. We like that it’s not too too sweet, being bread and all.

I felt I had to give this one a try, so I made it and we loved it. I made it again, and again and again. I can’t stop making it!

Another great thing is that this recipe is so perfect for those past-their-prime soft, mushy brown bananas that sit there on the counter and get lost in the craziness of the week. When you finally notice them, it’s too late. You can not give a brown banana to a 10-year old. This, I’ve learned. You can try to cut off the brown part, and deliver it in chunks, but any part of it that is discolored in the slightest, will be ignored.

Well friends, you can let go of your banana guilt. Don’t even think about tossing them in the trash. You’ll never have to waste another banana again!

Paula to the rescue.

As soon as I notice those brown, spotted, fruit fly-inducing bananas on the counter (which used to make me feel so guilty),  I now think YAY!  Banana bread today!  

I even make this during the morning rush while blow-drying my hair, toasting a waffle and going over spelling words. It’s that easy. And we get to have yummy banana bread in our lunch bags!

Don’t even bother printing out this recipe. It’s so easy that you’ll be able to keep the recipe filed away in your brain. And you already have everything you need in your pantry right now (except the over-ripe bananas, but that only takes a few days, especially if they’re organic!)  Just throw it all into a bowl, mix it up, spoon it into a pan and pop it into the oven. Your house will smell delicious, and the banana bread will be ready before you know it.

Go save some bananas.

And don’t worry about all that butter.  Paula doesn’t!

Oprah once asked Paula, “What do you say to all of your health conscious critics?” Paula responded, “Honey, I’m you’re cook, not your doctor!”

How can you not love this woman, y’all?

Buttery Banana Bread
Inspired by Paula Deen, via Casandra Voltolina

1 stick of butter, room temperature
1 cup of sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teasp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teasp baking soda
1 teasp baking powder
3 very ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat the oven to 350º. Grease a 9 x 5″ loaf pan with butter. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar; mix well. Mix in the salt, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking soda, baking powder and bananas. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 – 60 minutes.

*Note*-I tested mine with a toothpick at 50 minutes, and then left it in about 10 mins more.  Test for doneness before you take it out of the oven, because you want to make sure the middle is cooked.