Every time I go into Starbucks, the banana bread tempts me.  The moist fruit “bread” on the other side of the looking glass tricks me into thinking she might not be cake.
But, for all intents and purposes she is.  Made in some industrial kitchen and made to look like all the other slices of SB banana bread around the world.
I only give in when I’m at airports.  After an uncomfortable flight to/from who knows where, I want some familiarity.  I want some cake.

Not (yet) at a point where I bake a whole loaf of banana bread for myself, I found an excuse to bake one for others when some ladies were coming over for wine and conversation.
To the internet I went to search out a recipe that used butter and not oil.  I’ve found in the past that with quick breads (quick cakes?), oil can sometimes make things, well, oily.
Lo and behold, what do I come across? A recipe from The Best of Bridge.

Growing up in 80s Alberta usually meant your mother referred to either The Best of Bridge or Company’s Coming cookbooks for her cooking projects.  BoB seemed more for entertaining, CC for specific items (Muffins and More, anyone?).  I often remember flipping through my mom’s BoBs, comparing the pictures of the BoB ladies from year to year — Did she cut her hair? Did that one colour her hair? — and being transfixed by the handwriting script used in the books.  The non-sequiturs and jokes at the bottom of each recipe were always over my young head.  “Taxes are what old people worry about.”  At that time, a picture was not required for every recipe and olive oil was a fancy ingredient.

For these sentiments, my search would end at this “Best Ever” banana bread.  And pretty best ever it was.   A soft, dense middle.  A crunchy, sweet crust.  OTT with a slathering of soft butter.  The airport treat of my dreams.

Best Ever Banana Bread
Adapted from The Best of Bridge

0.5 cups butter
0.5 cup white sugar
0.5 cup brown sugar
1.5 cups mashed banana (about 3 very ripe)
2 eggs, well beaten
1.25 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
0.5 teaspoon salt
0.5 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add bananas and eggs and beat until well mixed. Mix dry ingredients and blend with banana mixture, but do not overmix. Pour into a lightly greased loaf pan. Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour; test for doneness (toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean) and cool on rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

The difference between a tax collector and a taxidermist is the taxidermist leaves the hide.