Bang'n Banana Bread

Go Bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S! How many times have you bought bananas, then took too long to eat them all and they started turning brown and you threw them in the garbage? Stop right there! Don't throw them out. Put them in your freezer. When you have collected 6-8 bananas, you can thaw them and make my bang'n banana bread. Super ripe bananas make the BEST banana bread.

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 c flour, sifted

• 3 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground

• 3 c bananas, mashed (6-8 bananas)

• 2 Tbsp lemon juice

• 3/4 c shortening, butter flavored (can substitute with 1 c butter)

• 1 1/2 c sugar

• 3 eggs

• 3/4 c milk, 2%

• 1 c chocolate chips (optional)

• 1 c walnuts, chopped (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans (or prepare muffin cups in muffin pan)

2. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cinnamon into medium bowl. Set aside.

3. Mash bananas with rotary beater or fork. Add lemon juice and mix.

4. Cream shortening and sugar with electric mixer into banana mix; add eggs and beat thoroughly until well blended.

5. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk into banana mixture. With a wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.

6. Pour into loaf pans or muffin cups.

7. Bake loaf pans for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a knife or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Bake muffins for approximately 12 minutes.

8. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then remove and cool on wire rack.

9. Slice and serve....Enjoy!