Best Ever Banana Bread

For an intense banana flavor, use bananas that have speckled dark peels. For a milder flavor, use ripe bananas whose peels are still yellow.

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 to 3 medium)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine eggs, bananas, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Fold in nuts. Pour into a greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pan. Bake at 325* for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until bread tests done. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack.

Yield: 1 loaf

-Gert Kaiser, Kenosha, Wisconsin

Note: Sister Tobi also sprinkles chocolate chips on the top.