Lyons Family Cookbook

Banana Bread

2

cup

brown sugar

1/2

cup

+ 3T butter (no substitutes)

4

eggs

1/2

cup

buttermilk

2

tsp

baking soda

1/2

tsp

salt

.

.

.

3 1/2

cup

flour --- FOR FLOUR, mill in flour mill

3/4 C whole grain spelt, 1/2 C whole brown rice, 1/4 C each of: Whole Rye, Whole Barley, Whole Oat Groats

--- or --- 3 1/2 C unbleached white flour

7

ripe bananas, mashed on a plate

1

cup

pecans, chopped

1

Stir together 3 1/2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside.

2

Cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly mixed. Add 1/2 cup buttermilk. Stir in the flour mixture, and stir just until combined. Add bananas and nuts. Bake in loaves at 300° in pans greased with butter and floured.

3

If using (3) 8 1/2 x 5 x 3" pans, bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until toothpick in center comes out clean.

4

If using (6) 5 1/2 x 3 x 2" mini pans, bake approximately 40 minutes, or until toothpick in center comes out clean.

This recipe originally came from a friend's mother, Janet Crice. We decided this was the best banana bread recipe, but that it needed to be a little healthier. Thus, it now has 1 cup less sugar, 5 Tbs less butter, and is made with whole grain flour instead of all-purpose white flour. It is still the best banana bread. The freshly milled flour makes it so special. If you want to make this gluten free, it is very good made with 100% whole grain brown rice flour, freshly milled, of course.

Author Notes

Yellow bananas are fine for eating out of hand, but very ripe, brown-speckled ones are best for baking.