Banana bread

I am new to the banana bread making business. Imagine the horror when I realized I lost the very first recipe I tried and liked... Puzzled by the gazillion versions available online, ran over to epicurious.

Banana bread - adapted from Epicurous:

• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 very ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup crème fraîche
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (9- by 5- by 3-inch) metal loaf pans, then dust with flour, knocking out excess.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl.

Beat together eggs and sugar in bowl of electric mixer at medium-high speed until very thick and pale and mixture forms a ribbon when beater is lifted, about 10 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add oil in a slow stream, mixing, then mix in bananas, crème fraîche, and vanilla. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in flour mixture gently but thoroughly.

Divide batter between loaf pans, spreading evenly, and bake in middle of oven until golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Cool loaves in pans on a rack 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack. Turn loaves right side up and cool completely.

The bread tends to turn brown very easely; don't forget to cover it with aluminium foil if it happens before the end of the baking time. I made one loaf, which I sliced and froze, as well as muffins. The outer layer was deliciously crunchy and the inside very, very moist. Next time, I will replace half of the oil by applesauce.

my brother, back from school: 'Oh. You made apple cake?'

me: 'Banana bread. That's why the whole house smells like bananas.'

predatoriously eyeing the muffins: 'May I..?'

'No? You don't like them. These are for me. Go away.'

'...'

'Grr... alright.'

'Let's have tea with these.'

impressed: 'Good idea.'

He doesn't like banana things. He still ate two of these in a row lol. Rose hip tea was an excellent match.