IN THE KITCHEN WITH: Audrey O'Leary

Edgewater resident Audrey O’Leary began baking with her aunt as a child and loves to make treats for friends and neighbors. This banana bread recipe, she said is especially popular.

O’Leary said she adds more nuts than the recipe requires.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Ingredients
½ cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about three)
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup whole wheat flour, unsifted
1/3 cup hot water
½ cup chopped walnuts


Method:
1. Melt butter and blend in sugar.
2. Mix in beaten eggs and mashed banana, blending until smooth.
3. In a bowl, stir together all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda and whole wheat flour until thoroughly blended.
4. Add dry ingredients alternately with hot water, stirring.
5. Stir in chopped nuts.
6. Spoon batter into a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan or two smaller loaf pans.
7. Bake in oven at 325 degrees for about one hour and 10 minutes, until bread begins to pull away from sides of pan and a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean.
8. Let cool for 10 minutes.
9. Turn out breads onto a rack to cool completely.