Gorilla Banana Bread

Imagine that you’re a gorilla. You’re hanging out, relaxing in the sun and munching on bananas, all day, every day. It’s a pretty great life. But no matter how much you love those bananas, you’re very likely to get, dare I say it, a little bored. That’s where banana bread comes in. Banana bread has, by it’s very nature, all of the goodness that bananas provide, but instead of a peel holding it all together, you’ve got a lovely, wholesome, nut filled bread doing the work, and best of all, banana breads are darn easy to make. This one especially. So grab your little gorilla and get to work on this oh-so-healthy treat – I promise you won’t be sorry.

Gladys the Gorilla’s Easy-Peasy Banana Bread

From: Gladys the Gorilla Goes Out To Lunch by Derek Anderson

Recipe by Gladys Amundson

Adapted by Madeleine Mitchell

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar (or ½ cup white sugar + ½ cup brown sugar for an even moister bread)

½ cup shortening (like Crisco)

2 cups mashed ripe bananas (gotta mash ‘em good)

2 eggs,

½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

2 cups all-purpose flour (or wheat for an even healthier bread)

1 cup nuts (I like walnuts or pecans, but it’s up to you)

3 tbsp. milk (2% or whole)

What You Do:

1. Cream the shortening and sugar. You can do this with an electric mixer or by  hand if you’re feeling strong. Cream the sugar and shortening until the sugar is integrated and the mixture looks, well, creamy.
2. Add the eggs, milk and mashed bananas and combine. Set it aside.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together until it’s only slightly lumpy.
5. Stir in the nuts and mix until just combined.
6. Grease  and flour a loaf pan and pour the mixture in.
7. Bake on the center rack at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Test after 45 minutes with a  toothpick. If the center comes out clean, it’s done! If not, put it back  in for the remaining 15 minutes.
8. When the bread is baked, pull it out of the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 30 minutes so it will come out cleanly.
9. Let it finish cooling on a rack or slice right into it. It should stay fresh for up to 3 days, wrapped up tight at room temperature.

A Note:

Kids have a great time adding ingredients, mixing the batter and, of course, mashing the banana. It’s a great, fool-proof, healthy dessert bread that’s ideal for making with a little one.

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