THE PERFECT BANANA BREAD

Preheat oven to 325°F and spray a 9×5 loaf pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mash banana to remove as many of the lumps as possible. If desired, run through a food processor or blender for a couple seconds.
Add eggs, buttermilk, butter or oil, vanilla and whisk until well combined.
Add brown sugar and whisk again until well combined.
Add flour, baking soda and salt and whisk until just combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake on rack in the lower third of the oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Leaving loaf in the pan, place on wire rack to cool for 15-20 minutes. Invert and carefully remove loaf and place back on wire rack to cool completely.
Slice into 8 pieces and enjoy!

Don’t have buttermilk handy? You can substitute ⅓ scant cup whole milk mixed with 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice. Just stir the two to mix, and let sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes before using.
If you’re not a fan of small banana chunks in your bread, you can blend the bananas instead of just mashing them.
For a crunch, add ½ cup of chopped walnuts into the batter, and maybe sprinkle some on top, too.
Want to add fresh berries? Toss 2 cups fresh blueberries in 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour to coat, then gently fold into the batter at the end of step 5.
Make sure you cover every inch of your loaf pan with nonstick spray to ensure your loaf comes out easily when it’s done.
To make sure your banana bread doesn’t dry out, you should always wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, tin foil, or store it in an airtight container. Even better? Wrap it and stick it in a covered container.
To freeze, wrap each completely cooled loaf tightly in a couple layers of plastic wrap and then put it in a large resealable bag and seal tightly. To defrost, remove the loaf from the plastic bag, unwrap, and let set on a wire rack until it comes to room temperature (about 3 hours).
To make muffins, fill muffin tin cups ¾ full and bake for 5 minutes at 425°F, then turn the oven temperature down to 350°F. Bake for another 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and tops are set and golden.