Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf (8 x 5-inch loaf pan)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
3 medium-sized bananas, very ripe
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. Line the loaf pan with parchment, letting the excess hang over the sides. Spray the inside with nonstick cooking spray. →If using nuts, toast them in the oven for 10 minutes as the oven is pre-heating.
2. Melt the butter in the microwave or over low heat on the stovetop. → Alternatively, for a more cake-like banana bread, soften the butter (but do not melt) and cream it with the sugar in a stand mixer in the next step.
3. Whisk together the melted butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until combined. (Or cream in a mixer until fluffy.)
4. Crack the eggs into the bowl. Whisk until completely combined and the mixture is smooth.
5. Whisk the milk and vanilla into the batter.
6. Peel the bananas and add them to the bowl. Using the end of the whisk or a dinner fork, mash them into the batter. Leave the bananas as chunky or as smooth as you prefer. If you prefer an entirely smooth banana bread, mash the bananas separately until no more lumps remain, and then whisk them into the batter.
7. Measure the flour, baking soda, and salt into the bowl. Switch to using a spatula and gently stir until the ingredients are just barely combined and no more dry flour is visible.
8. Last but not least, scatter the nuts or chocolate over the batter and gently fold them in.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, using the spatula to scrape all the batter from the bowl. Smooth the top of the batter.
10. Place the pan in the oven & bake for 55 to 65 minutes. Bake until the top of the cake is caramelized dark brown with some yellow interior peeking through and a tooth pick or cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Baking time will vary slightly depending on the moisture and sugar content of your bananas — start checking around 50 minutes and then every five minutes after.
11. Set the loaf, still in the pan, on a cooling rack. Let it cool for 10 minutes — this helps the loaf solidify and makes it easier to remove from the pan.
12. Lift the loaf out of the pan using the parchment paper "wings." Set it on the cooling rack to cool for another 10 minutes before slicing. Leftover bread can be kept, covered, at room temperature for several days or wrapped in foil and frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe Notes:
Banana Muffins: To make muffins, line a muffin tin with liners and fill each cup to roughly 3/4 full. Makes 8 to 10 muffins.