Cardamom Banana Bread

Once upon a time I lived where my books live, including the dear booklet of family recipes my paternal grandma helped make before she passed. I'm hoping one day to share that recipe here, but until that's possible I've been using my adaptation of Olga's great recipe. My main changes have been to make the recipe more aromatic and fragrant with the addition of the cardamom and orange blossom water, but the original is definitely worth a try too if you don't like either of those. Whatever you do, enjoy!

Cardamom Banana Bread

(1 loaf*)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Cardamom (to taste)

2 eggs**

1/2 cup of vegetable oil or softened butter

1/3 cup of sugar

1/3 cup of brown sugar

3 overripe bananas (mashed)

2 teaspoons of orange blossom water (optional)

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/2 cup of chopped pecans (optional)

*I'll let you be the judge of how many servings that makes!

**If you're vegan or baking during a fast, then omit the eggs and replace with an extra banana or your favorite egg substitute.

Directions

1) Set the oven to 175 degrees Celsius (or 350 degrees Fahrenheit if you live in Liberia) and grease a 23cm x 13cm (or 9in x 5in) loaf pan.

2) Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cardamom in a medium-large mixing bowl and set aside.

3) In another mixing bowl beat together the eggs, butter or oil, sugars, bananas, orange blossom water, and vanilla.

4) Stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Try to avoid over-mixing, but be sure to get rid of any and all lumps too!

5) Fold in the pecans if you're adding them.

6) Pour the batter into the loaf pan, place on a middle rack in the oven, and bake for around 40 minutes before covering with some aluminum foil and continuing to bake for another 15 minutes or until a knife or toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean.

7) Serve as is or with a nice cup of tea, and enjoy!