I have a theory about cookbooks. If a person who is not famous writes a cookbook and then goes on to become famous and writes multiple cookbooks, the first one will always be the best. Think about it. You’re writing a cookbook and you have no idea if you’ll ever get to write another one. Wouldn’t you put all your absolutely killer recipes in that book? Of course, you would.
I have multiple Paula Deen cookbooks, but the best one hands down is the one she wrote while she was running her restaurant in Savannah. I don’t think she’d even been on TV yet. So she hit it with her best shot and loaded that cookbook up. And one of the recipes I almost know from heart now is her banana bread. So simple. So tasty. You don’t even need a mixer. Just a bowl, a fork and some very ripe bananas.
This is especially tasty when you bake it after 9 o’clock at night and, making sure no one can see you, eat about three slices slathered in butter right after the bread comes out of the oven. I don’t know how I know this, but I believe it to be true.
Paula Deen’s Banana Bread
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 ripe bananas, mashed
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar; mix well. Add the salt, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking soda, baking powder and bananas. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes.
