Buttermilk Banana Bread

Here's another variation on the ever popular banana bread...

Banana Bread, Buttermilk

1/2 cup margarine or butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3-4 medium)

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves (optional)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Grease and flour one large loaf pan, or two smaller bread pans. Pre-heat oven to 350. Cream together margarine and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Add bananas and buttermilk. Blend until smooth. Add cinnamon, baking soda, and salt, and stir well. Fold in flour just until batter is smooth. Pour into pans. Bake 8-inch pans 40-50 minutes, 9-inch pan about 1 hour. Bread is done when a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes, then remove from pans and cool on a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.

Emily's Notes: I added 2 cups white flour and 1/2 cup wheat flour.  Instead of nuts, I add 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.  My loaves look short because I did three 8-inch pans.