Banana Bread

Banana Bread 

4 oz. butter

8 oz. sugar

2 eggs (or: substitute 1/4 to 1/3 cup organic apple sauce for each egg)

8 oz. flour

1 tbs baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tbs lime juice

2 peeled, mashed ripe bananas

1 cup walnuts (or other nuts)

Mix room temperature butter with sugar until smooth.  Mix in eggs (or apple sauce).  Sift dry ingredients and mix in.  Stir in lime juice, banana pulp and nuts, mixing as little as needed to blend smoothly.  Transfer to a prepared (greased or lined with parchment paper) loaf or square cake pan and bake at 350 F (180 C) for about an hour, until a toothpick stuck into the middle comes out clean. (Note: takes longer to cook with apple sauce than with eggs.)  Can also be made as cupcakes; bake slightly less long.

I've actually started to prefer the no-egg version made with apple sauce; it's even more deliciously moist and tender, and seems to form a bit more of a crispy crust at the top.