Banana Bread

When I have overripe bananas in the house, I usually toss them in the freezer to await the time I'm ready to bake some banana bread. Today I was ready. We recently stocked our freezer with goodies and those frozen bananas keep jumping out and landing on my foot, so they had to go! And today it's nice and cold, so that means it's banana bread time!

My favorite recipe is Martha Stewart's, but I embellish it just a tad.

1 4 oz stick of butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 cup yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350°F and butter 9" X 5" X 3" loaf pan. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well. Mix the dry ingredients together, including the spices, and combine with the butter mixture. Blend well. Add the bananas, yogurt, and vanilla. Stir well. Stir in the nuts and pour into the pan. Bake 1 hour until a cake tester comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack to cool.

Makes one very delicious loaf of banana bread.