They say bananas are good for you, so I try to eat them. I really do. But I have a very small window of when bananas are good to me. They have to be on the green side, firm, and cold from the refrigerator.

I hate mushy bananas, so needless to say, I’ve made lots of banana bread through the years.

This recipe is my favorite. It makes a very moist bread and the brown sugar/nut topping really takes it over the top.

Sherry Gloor’s recipe is another way to use bananas that is so very, very tasty. She brought it to our church supper the other night and everyone was asking for the recipe.

So here it is, ladies.

Delicious Banana Bread

Ingredients

Topping for after baking

• ½ stick butter

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 5 tbsp. milk

• 1 cup walnuts or pecans, broken in large pieces

Cook’s note: I also add a splash of vanilla and a pinch of salt

Batter

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)

• 1½ cups sugar

• 2 eggs

• 4 very ripe bananas, mashed

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• ½ tsp. banana extract

• 4 tbsp. buttermilk

• 2 cups flour

• 1½ tsp. baking soda

• 1 tsp. salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F.

• Cream together the butter and sugar.

• Add bananas, eggs, vanilla, banana extract, and buttermilk.

• Stir together flour, soda and salt.

• Add to banana mixture and beat well.

• Pour into two greased and floured loaf pans (9x5x3)

• Bake 45 to 50 minutes until bread pulls away from sides of pan.

• Cool 10 minutes.

• Remove from pans.

To prepare topping: Melt butter in saucepan. Add sugar, salt, and milk and bring to a boil and let cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and nuts. Let cool while bread is baking. Pour over bread after it has been removed from the pan, spreading to all corners.

Banana Split Cake

(from Sherry Gloor of Goliad)

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

• 1 cup sugar, divided

• 1/3 cup butter, melted

• 2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

• 1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained

• 4 medium bananas, sliced

• 2 cups cold milk

• 2 pkg. (4-serv. size each) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling

• 2 cups thawed Cool Whip, divided

• 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

• Mix crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and the butter and press firmly onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan.

• Freeze 10 minutes

• Beat cream cheese and remaining 3/4 cup sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.

• Spread carefully over crust; top with pineapple, then the sliced bananas.

• Pour milk into medium bowl.

• Add dry pudding mixes.

• Beat with wire whisk for 2 minutes or until well blended.

• Gently stir in 1 cup of the Cool Whip and spread over banana layer in pan.

• Top with remaining 1 cup (or more) of Cool Whip; sprinkle with pecans.

• Refrigerate 5 hours.