One time on the NPR radio show "Car Talk" one of the callers wanted to know what kind of baked goods she could give to her mechanic to show her gratitude for his good service. Tom and Ray said mechanics like banana bread because it's dark and they don't have to wash their hands before eating it.

The darkness comes from the bananas oxidizing (darkening due to being in the air) so if the recipe has orange or lemon juice in it, the bread won't darken as much.

I am one of those people who likes firm, just-past-green bananas. Sometimes I'll get one and say 'tomorrow this banana would have been past it.' To be fair, sometimes I'll jump the gun and get one that is so green and starchy the peel is difficult to get off and it's puckery to eat. But what I consider too ripe is not nearly ripe enough for banana bread; you have to let them ripen to almost black. If they aren't ripe enough the banana bread isn't as good.

This recipe is the one that always worked best for me, flavor and texture-wise. I don't think it works as well to peel the bananas and then expect them to ripen in a cup on the counter. If you don't have enough to make bread, you can freeze the bananas (with the peel on) and thaw before putting into the bread.

Laura's Favorite Banana Bread

1 3/4 cups sifted flour
3/4 teaspoon soda
1 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 or 3 bananas)
Nuts
(1 - 2 tablespoons orange juice)

Sift together 3 times the flour, salt, cream of tartar, and soda. Cream the shortening. Stir sugar slowly into the shortening until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat thoroughly. Put in flour mixture and banana alternately, adding only a small amount at a time. Beat until smooth after each addition. Thin with a little orange juice if desired. Pour into a loaf pan which has been well greased and floured, and bake in a 350 degree oven about an hour. Cool on a rack, and try not to eat it until the next day - it will slice better, and the flavor will be better.

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You can spread cream cheese or butter on thin slices of banana bread for lovely tea sandwiches. Mrs. Munchkin, my mother-in-law, lightly toasts her banana bread in a toaster oven, highly recommended.

I like the "America's Test Kitchen" recipes because they always carry things to the nth degree, and although their recipes are persnickety and use unusual methods, they are worth making. Here is their version of banana bread:

America's Test Kitchen Banana Bread

1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
5 ripe bananas, peeled
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup toasted walnuts (in your oven for a few minutes)
1 banana (not as ripe)
2 teaspoons sugar

Combine flour, salt, and soda in a mixing bowl and set aside.

Put the bananas in a bowl, cover and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Pour into a strainer over a bowl to drain. Put the liquid in a pan over medium high heat and cook down to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Put the pulp and juice in a bowl, and mash together with a potato masher to get out any large lumps.

Add melted butter, vanilla, eggs, and brown sugar. Whisk until sugar dissolves. Stir wet ingredients into the dry, leaving a few streaks of flour. Add walnuts. Pour into oil-sprayed loaf pan. Slice another banana 1/4 inch thick on the diagonal and arrange on the long sides of the loaves. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar. Bake at 350 degrees on middle rack for 1 hour, rotating pan after 30 minutes. Let stand on wire rack 15 minutes, then remove from pan and cool some more on the rack.