Toasted Almond Banana Bread

With much sadness, I will be saying goodbye to many friends of mine in the football department within the next month. I hate to see so many of the people that brighten my day leaving UCLA Athletics. What better way to send them off than by making them a treat... of banana bread. This breakfast loaf - desert- #1 way to eat fruit- kind of food item is the homey comfort we all need.

*Recipe adapted from the Kona Inn Banana Bread in Fannie Farmer Cookbook*

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsps baking soda
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups granulated sugar
4 ripe bananas, about 6-7 inches long
4 eggs
1 cup toasted almonds (pre-bought or you can toast them yourself)

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour the loaf pan. Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Melt the butter. Add the 4 bananas to the butter. Mash and thoroughly mix the banana and butter together. Whisk to make the mixture smooth with only a few lumps.

Once whisked together, add the sugar, eggs, and almonds. Mix together.

Last, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, a little bit at a time. You don't want to over mix the dough, so start folding in the flour towards the end. Pour batter into one large loaf pan or two smaller ones. Remember to not fill the pan more than 3/4 of the way.

Bake for 45-55 minutes. At 45 minutes, stick a toothpick in the middle of the loaf to test if it is done. If the toothpick comes out clean, the loaves are done. Let them rest in the pan for about 5 minutes, then turn the loaves over onto racks to finish cooling completely through.

Serve for desert, have it for breakfast or bring them into work. Another favorite of mine it to slice a piece of the bread, toast it, and then add butter. Delicious morning wake up :)