Banana Bread

What to do with rotten bananas?? Sometimes I can't keep bananas in the house and other times they sit and rot. Because I love this recipe so much sometimes I just hope they will go bad so I can bake up a batch.
This recipe does have a bit of a story. Several years ago, before I was a wife and mother, my best friend and I decided to take a summer off and go work up at West Glacier Park in Montana. We waited tables at a family owned restaurant called Eddies.
I had a day off during the week and headed into town. I decided to stop at a roadside market. I purchased some fruit and a loaf of banana bread. When I returned to my dorm I dug into the bread. It was the most incredibly moist and yummy banana bread I had ever had. I began to crave it.
When our summer was over and we were driving out of town, I decided to stop at the market to get one last loaf. I was so disappointed when they did not have any. I asked the lady at the register and she said the baker was out of town so they had sold out a day ago. I asked if she could tell me what the ingredients were so that I could attempt to replicate it. That is when she offered me the recipe. She said since the baker was out of town no one would ever know so long as I didn't sell the recipe, which I agreed to.
So this recipe is not up for sale...but I would like to share it with you. Actually the recipe has changed over time to incorporate healthier ingredients.

3/4 c. butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 c. rapadura
1 1/2 c. mashed bananas (since I have reduced the amount of sugar, make sure they are black)
2 eggs beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 c. buttermilk (or sour milk)
3/4 cup walnuts (or your favorite nut)

The night before soak the whole wheat flour in buttermilk. The following morning cream butter and rapadura. Blend in bananas eggs and vanilla. Add baking soda and salt to flour mixture then add the banana mixture and blend together. Add nuts. I bake my banana bread in the mini loaf stoneware from Pampered Chef (best kitchen investment for me. I use it all the time). You can also bake in a regular loaf pan but you will need to adjust baking time. Bake on 325 for 45ish minutes. When toothpick comes out clean it's good to go. Serve warm with lots of healthy butter.

FYI
*The only ingredients I substituted were ww flour for white and rapadura for white sugar.
*I have also uses minimally processed organic sugar and it comes out the same.
*I also up the amount of buttermilk form 1/2c. to 3/4 c. when using ww flour, makes it more moist.
*My dad is gluten free and I have made this for him with an all purpose gluten free flour. I have tried several and with this recipe Bob's Red Mill works best.

This post is part of The Nourishing Gourmet Sweets and treats carnival