Irresistible Banana Bread
PREP: 15 min; BAKE: 1 hour Makes 2 loaves, 24 slices each 1 ¼ cups sugar ½ cup stick margarine or butter,* softened 2 eggs 1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium) ½ cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup chopped nuts, if desired 1. Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350¿. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x4 1/2x 2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches. 2. Mix sugar and margarine in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour into pans. 3. Bake 8-inch loaves about 1 hour, 9-inch loaf about 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pans on wire rack. Loosen sides of lo...