Banana-Nut Bread

This semester has come and gone faster than I can even begin to believe. Last week was Thanksgiving, and now we're 29 days away from New Year's Eve. That's unbelievable! Well, this past weekend was by far one of the best weekends I have ever had. I went out with an amazing group of friends to see a Paul Van Dyk perform at a local club. Let's just say, it was mind-blowing, breathtaking, and just plainly incredible. After coming down from Planet Electronica, I decided to make some banana bread for my parents, since they're big fans of it. I've always usually made banana bread from a recipe that belongs to one of my mom's friends, but this time I decided to use the recipe that's featured in Williams-Sonoma: Bread. It's very moist and packed with flavor. It won't disappoint you at all. It even replaced the other recipe as my go-to banana bread recipe! :)

"BANANAS: The distinctive tropical flavor and fragrance of bananas and their meaty texture make them a satisfying addition to quick breads. For the most pronounced flavor, use very ripe, plump bananas that give when gently pressed, with a skin color that ranges from yellow with an abundance of brown and black freckles to almost completely blackened. If you have very ripe bananas but are unable to make banana bread right away, peel and freeze them until ready to use."

Banana-Nut Bread
*makes one 9-by-5-inch loaf*

Ingredients:
6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
1 cup sugar
3 very ripe bananas, coarsely mashed
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for flouring
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and lightly flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
2) In a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the bananas and eggs and beat until smooth. Add the buttermilk and beat just until combined.
3) In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, and nuts. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and beat just until combined. The batter should be slightly lumpy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4) Pour the batter into the prepared pan. It should be no more than two-thirds full. Bake until the loaf is dark golden brown and dry to the touch and the edges pull away from the pan sides, 55-60 minutes. A cake tester inserted into the center should come out clean. Let rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into thick slices to serve.

If you want to print this recipe out, go here to its link on the Williams-Sonoma site.