Banana bread (Little pie company)

                 This is not a heavy banana bread, but a tender, moist one, deserving of a light spread of sweet butter or softened cream cheese. We think it tastes and slices even better the second day. Tast it, too. You can also freeze loaves of this bread for another day.

One 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• One-third of a cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1¼ cups mashed, fully ripe bananas (3 to 4 large)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup chopped medium-fine walnuts

1. Preheat the oven to 350F ; grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter  and sugar until light and fluffy, beat in the eggs, stir in the buttermilk, mashed bananas, and vanilla.
3. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt ; add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, stirring well until combined and stir in the walnuts.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top evenly.
5. Bake the bread for 1 hour, or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean.
6. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.

BON APPETIT