Craft Night In: Banana Bread

Craft Night In with Banana Bread

If you grew up in the '80s or '90s, chances are you had a dog-eared copy of a Jean Paré cookbook somewhere in your home. I love the bright, colourful bindings because they are easy to spot on a crowded bookshelf.

During my wedding shower season, one of the many gifts I was lucky enough to receive was Jean's book "Biscuits, Muffins and Loaves". To this day, it still remains the most used cookbook on my shelf. If you ever come across a copy, I highly recommend picking it up. I have made quite a few recipes from this book.

Inside is a banana bread recipe that I've been making for well over 20 years. It's simple to make, and because my kids grew up with it, it's become a family staple.

Not only is it an easy recipe to make, but it's perfect for bringing along to a craft night/weekend with friends. Last September, a group of us planned a crafting weekend and I baked up two loaves to share. They were gone by the next day so it was a big hit. Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think.

Homemade Banana Bread

(From Jean Pare's Cookbook: Biscuits, Muffins and Loaves)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of softened butter or margarine (I always use butter)
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3, mashed ripe bananas
• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1 cup of chopped walnuts however, I substitute these for chocolate chips instead.

Instructions:

• With a hand mixer or a Kitchenaid mixer, cream butter and sugar together.
• Add in the eggs and beat until smooth. 
• Stir in the mashed bananas.
• In a separate bowl mix the flour with baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Then add to the banana mixture and stir until blended.
• Stir in the chocolate chips or walnuts.
• Grease a loaf pan and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. 
• Take a toothpick and check it at the 50-55 minute mark and either take it out if it's done, or put it back in to finish baking.
• Once it's done, let it stand for about 5 mins then remove it from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack.
• Slice and serve.

If you’re planning a craft night in and need help, then my DIY craft kits come with everything you need. This way, you can skip the prep and get straight to creating, chatting, and maybe going back for a second slice.

Pick a project, invite a friend (or a few), and you’ve got yourself a great night!

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