Banana Bread

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 1 - 9x5" loaf

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 mashed bananas
• 1/3 cup hot water
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and generously grease a bread pan.
2. Cream sugar and shortening.  Add the eggs and vanilla and stir to combine.
3. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with hot water.  
4. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Add the wet ingredients and mix until uniform.  Stir in the bananas.  Pour batter into the prepared pan.
5. Bake for 1 hour or until a fork comes out clean.  Let the loaf cool on a wire rack completely before serving or storing.

Banana Bread Parfait

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf of banana bread (see recipe above)
• Vanilla yogurt
• Granola of choice
• Blueberries or berries of choice

Directions:

1. Assemble the layers as follows in a parfait dish: in the bottom add a slice of banana bread, then a layer of yogurt, then a layer of granola, then another layer of yogurt, then a layer of berries.  
2. Repeat the layers listed in step one.
3. Enjoy!

*Both recipes provided by Mykael Christensen