BAKING 101

Here is first in a series of recipes. I'll start off simple and basic. I always have leftover ripe bananas and this recipe is from Sunset magazine. It is the best!!

Whole Wheat Banana Bread
1/2 butter or margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup each mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas) and all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup hot water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar, then mix in beaten eggs and banana, blending until smooth. In a separate bowl, stir together all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda and whole wheat flour until thoroughly blended. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture alternately with hot water. Do not over mix. Stir in chopped nuts if desired. Spoon batter into a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Bake in preheated 325 oven (300 for glass pan) for about 1 hour and 10 minutes or until bread begins to pull away from sides of pan and a wooden pick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes; then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. Makes 1 loaf.