Fanny's Banana Bread

The first night of Chanukah and Christmas Eve rarely coincide. This Saturday night will be only the fourth time since 1900 that the first night of Chanukah has fallen on Christmas Eve. As a humanist Buddhist Jew married to an atheistic mathematician, with Italian Catholic in-laws, a Food Jew Mom, an "ish" Dad, and kids more Jewish than me, the 24th is going to be a Pascal feast of latkes (potato pancakes), sufgoniyot (jelly doughnuts), at least seven fishes, ham, and many other long-served dishes from the extended Pascal/DeLucia family repertoire.

In honor of that, I'll be posting a couple of recipes that are traditional in my family.  Like in many families, the definition of family is actually quite complicated. Thus, one of my favorite  "breads" came from the woman who raised my father. Fanny McNair could never be categorized: while the family paid her as a "nanny," my father considered her first and foremost his mother. The first "Jewish" recipe is therefore not Jewish at all, but handed down through a Jewish family, originating with the most loving (Southern African-American) grand-mother I ever had.

Pre-kids we only made the bread with crushed walnuts. Now, with kids, we substitute chocolate chips for walnuts. When we make it for ourselves, we use both. The decision is yours.

One of the best things about this recipe is that it takes about 15 minutes to whip together.

Ingredients
Butter
Sugar
Flour
Baking Soda
Bananas
Walnuts
Chocolate Chips

Directions
Melt one stick of butter. Add one cup of sugar. Beat. Add two eggs. Beat again. Add 1 and 1/2 cups of sifted flour. Add one teaspoon of baking soda. Stir. Add 3-4 mashed bananas. Stir.

Add crushed walnuts and/or chocolate chips as desired.

Grease loaf pan generously. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Test with toothpick, which should not come out not-quite clean because of the bananas. Keep an eye (that's how my mother put it, but it's okay if you use two eyes) on the bread from 45 minutes on. Let cool in pan. Use knife to loosen edges and flip over to remove.