Carol’s Banana Nut Bread

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 4 eggs
• 4 bananas, mashed
• 2/3 cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour two 8 ½x4 ½-inch loaf pans.
2. Blend sugar and shortening in a large bowl until smooth. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together into a second bowl; set aside. Whisk vanilla, buttermilk and eggs in a separate bowl; set aside.
3. Sift dry ingredients into sugar mixture in half-cup measures. Alternately pour in liquid ingredients by tablespoon. Stir well after each addition. Add bananas and nuts; do not overmix. Pour into loaf pans.
4. Bake for 1 hour.
5. Cakes are baked when edges separate slightly from sides of pans and cake centers spring back when pressed. Cool on racks.