Banana Bread

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teapsoon salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 4 bananas, ripe and speckled
• 1 ½ cups flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter and sugar together in a larger mixing bowl.
3. Add the beaten eggs, baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Stir.
4. Crush the bananas well and stir into the mixture.
5. Add the flour and stir until just mixed. About 50 stirs. Do not overstir.
6. Spray the loafpan with cooking spray and dust with flour.
7. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan.
8. Bake for 1 hour.
9. Turn loaf onto a bread board.
10. Let cool and cut.
11. Serve with butter (optional).
12. Enjoy.

Note:  To make a smaller loaf, use half the amounts of all ingredients.  Put in a smaller loaf pan.  And bake 45 minutes. 

Nancy's Cornbread

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk (can be fat-free)
• ¼ cup canola oil
• 8 ¼ ounces can creamed corn
• Bakers Joy spray
• Butter (optional)
• Honey (optional)

These instructions are specifically for one of those Nordicware heavy cast aluminum muffin pans. It is one of the Platinum Collection for even rising and uniform cooking. Often they come in various shapes and make smaller muffins than a cupcake pan. The temperature and time has been adjusted to accommodate my acorn-shaped mini muffin pan. If you don’t have one, I would consider getting one. They are fun and do an excellent job. (This is an unsolicited plug for the pan.) These corn muffins are great for serving with navy bean soup.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

3. Add eggs, milk, oil, and creamed corn and stir for 50 strokes.

4. Spray pan with Baker’s Joy before each batch.

5.. Add 1 tablespoon batter to each mini muffin cup. I had to bake mine in three batches to make one recipe. It made 42 acorn cornbread mini muffins.

6. Bake each batch for 12 minutes at 375 degrees.

7. Remove from oven and turn pan upside down to release muffins.

8. Serve with butter or honey if desired.