Marsha's Banana-Walnut Tea Bread

This is a very rich and delicious tea bread. So much flavor locked into every bite and it's about as easy to make as anything can be. Whether eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a bedtime snack, this tea bread will let you know just how much "somebody loves you". Try it out on your father or your sweetheart. They are not likely to forget it.

This tea bread was made, remade, and made over several times during the years my three daughters were learning to cook and bake. Many days, it was our afternoon "Tea Party" main course.

Ingredients:

• 6 large very ripe bananas (I want them to be all black if possible)
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks melted in microwave and cooled)
• 3 large eggs, well-beaten
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup walnuts,very finely chopped (almost like corn meal)
• 2 tsp. baking soda (add to flour)
• 1 tsp. baking powder (add to flour)
• 1/2 tsp. salt (add to flour)
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (sift after measuring)

Note: Always use the ripest bananas possible. They will provide the most flavor to your breads or cakes.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour two loaf pans.

Peel and mash bananas in a large mixing bowl. Add applesauce and stir. Add sugars and mix well. Add cooled melted butter and beaten eggs. Add vanilla and blend everything together. Add walnuts and stir them in well.

Measure flour into sifter and add baking soda, baking powder, and salt; sift into a medium bowl. Fold flour into wet mixture being careful not to over-mix. You just want all the flour to be moistened. Do not beat.

Pour into prepared pans and place in preheated oven. These loaves will take about 1 hour to bake. Test with a thin wooden skewer after 55 minutes and every 5 minutes thereafter until thoroughly done. I had to put aluminum foil over the tops of my breads as they were getting very brown (which we like incidentally) after 50 minutes. Almost every oven is slightly different, so I always check for myself to insure the best quality of anything I bake. They were nice and deliciously done after 65 minutes though. The aroma summoned everyone to the kitchen.

Allow to rest in pans for about 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Source: My youngest daughter who (with lots of help from us all), must have worn out about a dozen tea-sets over the years. She deserves the biggest Blue Ribbon of all.

By Julia from Boca Raton, FL