Recipe: Sun River Banana Bread [updated]

Reposting with updates, because we are all making banana bread, apparently.

I declared this my favorite banana bread recipe nearly a decade ago. It makes for smooth dense bread, with just the right amount of sweetness and a beautiful crust. No oily feeling or over-crumbliness.

I am vegan now, but I still use the same recipe - just substituting vegan yogurt and butter and egg replacer throughout.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened*
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs or vegan equivalent (I like Ener-G egg replacer best)
2 overripe bananas (you will need 2/3 C mashed)
1/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt**

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mash your bananas in a small bowl with a fork. In a separate large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs (one at a time) or egg replacer. Blend in banana pulp. Add baking powder, soda, and salt and stir. Alternate adding the flour and yogurt. Pour into a well-greased and floured loaf pan. Bake on the center rack for about one hour (or if you choose to do muffins, about 20 minutes). Remove from pan and cool on rack.

Makes one loaf.

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*If you don't have pre-softened butter, don't despair and don't microwave your chosen shortening into a sad puddle. Stay calm and do as this blogger says. Works like a charm.

**If you don't have yogurt, do this: pour 3/4 t white vinegar or lemon juice into a 1/4 C measure, then fill it the rest of the way with milk and let it stand 5-10 minutes before using, until slightly thickened and curdled.

Adapted from the Sunset Cook Book of Favorite Recipes (1973).