I usually like to leave the making of banana bread to our publisher/editor in chief, who bakes an excellent loaf. I especially enjoy leaving a bunch of soft brown bananas in the front lobby of our office building; the next morning, as if by magic, a steaming hot loaf wrapped in tin foil appears in its place. It reminds me of the shoemaker and the elves.
Occasionally, a situation arises where I find I must bake the bread myself. This happened recently when I promised to cook a few meals for a friend who was recovering from surgery. I decided to make a few tea loaves and slice them up so she could eat them for breakfast. And, although our publisher would probably have gladly contributed a banana bread, I decided “to do for myself” for a change.
The recipe I found in “The Martha Stewart Cookbook” (oh, get over it, you know you like her) ended up being exceptionally rich, moist and delicious. My friend asked for the recipe, and I figured as long as I was typing it up, I would share it with you, too.

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed very ripe banana
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans and walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a loaf pan (9×5x3-inch). With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well.
Sift the dry ingredients together and combine with the butter mixture. Blend well. Add the bananas, sour cream and vanilla. Stir well. Stir in the nuts and pour into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake one hour, until a cake tester comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack and allow to cool.