Tender Banana Bread

In another attempt to clear the classroom fridge and cabinets for the summer (in hopes that our bond issue is getting us a sweet professional kitchen...!!)I planned an "eat from the pantry" unit to talk about how to budget food dollars and use what you have, which was really just a guise for ridding our kitchen of the extras... I started off just by holding up a few rotten, frozen, then thawed (so really bad looking!) bananas and asked who wanted a banana. They of course gave me the reaction I was looking for, and none of them knew that the best banana bread is made out of those things they are making vomiting noises over!

I know I've said this before, but I can always rely on the recipes at Good Things Catered, so I went there to find the banana bread recipe I wanted to use. I also had a random box of vanilla pudding mix on the shelf so this was the perfect recipe to try.

Tender Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 package instant vanilla pudding mix

2/3 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. shortening

2 eggs

2 Tbsp milk

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

3 large extra ripe bananas, mashed

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare loaf pan.
-In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pudding mix.

-Whisk to combine and set aside.

-In bowl of stand mixer, combine shortening and sugar.

-Beat on high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

-Add eggs, one at a time until thoroughly combined.

-Add milk and vanilla, then banana to mixture and combine well.

-With mixer on low, add flour mixture until just combined.

-Spread into loaf pan, tap to remove air pockets, and place in oven to bake.

-Bake loaf in oven for 1hr or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

-Let loaf cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely (or serve warm!)