Favorite Banana Bread

By AllyBees

This is a recipe from a friend's blog. Her husband looooved it, to say the least, and since my guy's favorite treat is banana bread, I thought I'd give it a try...

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional: we don't like nuts)

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
*Lowering the temp to 335-340 will reduce outside browning some...just let it cook on the longer side.

In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Stir in the vanilla, mayonnaise and bananas. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Blend the flour mixture into the banana mixture; stir just enough to evenly combine. Fold in the chocolate chips (and walnuts).

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 50 to 75 minutes. Cool loaf in the pan for 20 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.