Oatmeal Banana Bread

1/4 c. shortening
1/4 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. oatmeal (the first time, I used quick-cooking rolled oats, but I was out for the second batch, so I used Coach’s Oats. They worked just fine)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 very ripe bananas
1/4 c. milk

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 8½ x 4½” loaf pan with nonstick spray.

Cream together the shortening, butter, and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a ziplock bag, mash the bananas until uniform. Add the milk and mush it into the bananas.

Add half the dry ingredients to the sugar and butter mixture, scrape the bowl, and then add half the banana mixture. Repeat. Mix gently until blended.

Pour into the pan, and bake for 50-60 minutes until a butter knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Ish. You may get some banana on it, but no batter.

Remove it from the oven and cover the pan with aluminum foil for 5-10 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and serve hot or let it cool down.

You can add raisins, walnuts, or dried blueberries – just fold them in just before you pour the batter into the pan.

Makes 1 loaf.

I’ve been very into baking so far this year. I bake something just about every day.

I’ve made these rolls twice now (try some of their recipes – they ALWAYS work), but shaped them as hoagie rolls instead of a baguette or dinner rolls. The first time was for meatball sandwiches, and the dog ate them as they were cooling. (Can you imagine? I made them one day, let them rise in the fridge, got them out, shaped them, let them rise, baked them, and when they were cooling, the dog ate them. I was not happy with the dog that day.) The dog did leave two rolls that the kids and I shared and they were tasty!

The other day, I made French dips, and made the same recipe again. The rolls were dense and chewy and had a fabulous flavor that really went well with the meat and au jus. The crust, though, was a little too crusty – they were hard to eat without really soaking them in the au jus (and my boys don’t like au jus). I will definitely follow that recipe again, but I will try to make a softer crust. I still want them crusty and chewy, but perhaps not quite so much. I will also shape the rolls longer and skinnier – the oven spring really made them fat! I’ll let you know how it goes!