Andrea's Happy Banana Bread....or...Banana Bread that will make you happy!

Submitted by Andrea Grassby Valentini

This was always a great hit with my leftie friends and was especially popular with staff, volunteers and candidates when I would make big batches during election campaigns in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Enjoy!

ANDREA’S HAPPY BANANA BREAD

or

Banana Bread that will make you happy!

1/2 cup softened butter

1 1/3 cups of sugar 

2 large eggs

1 cup of mashed ripe bananas
2 tsp. rum banana liqueur
1/4 cup banana yogurt  (you can substitute buttermilk)
1 tsp. banana extract (almond or vanilla will do as well)

2 cups sifted flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
 1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until it becomes fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until fluffy and light.

Combine liqueur and extracts.

Sift the dry ingredients together and add half to cream and sugar mixture. Add buttermilk or yogurt, extract and liqueur to the mix and then add the remaining dry ingredients. Finally, add mashed bananas and beat for another minute. Stir in the chopped nuts.

Grease and flour several loaf pans. This recipe usually yields at least a couple of loafs with some mixture left over for muffins.

Bake at 350F degrees until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Andrea is a life long leftist activist and a former campaign organizer of both provincial and federal NDP campaigns from the 1960's through to the 1990's. She lives in Toronto.

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