Prize Winning Banana Bread

Mix together butter, oil, sugars and eggs. Add mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla, stirring together well. Mix in flour, baking soda and salt, stirring until it is well blended. Pour into 1 greased large loaf pan or 3 small loaf pans (I always use 3 of the 7 3/8 x 3 5/8 inch loaf pans - I think it gives the best results). Sprinkle additional brown sugar generously over top of batter, using your hand to gently pat some of it into the batter. Bake at 325 degrees: large loaf pan for about 1 hour, smaller loaves for about 45 minutes. Allow bread to cool in pans for about 20 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the edges, tap the pan on the counter several times to release the bread from the bottom of the pan, then invert pan over a wire rack and let the bread fall onto the rack to finish cooling completely. Variations and Suggestions: Add any of the following – miniature chocolate chips, toffee bits, shredded coconut, chopped pecans or macadamia nuts. Try toasting your banana bread – spread hot toasted bread with butter and even add a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar and some slices of banana, or top with a combination of honey and peanut butter, or spread hot toasted bread with some Nutella…the possibilities are endless! Use slices of banana bread to make your French toast. Just dust the finished product with some powdered sugar, or a little powdered sugar glaze, or spread on some Nutella, and maple syrup is good on it, too…you’ve gotta try it!