Banana bread

A few weeks ago I was looking for something creative and simple to make for our weekly Bachelor watch party, when I came across this recipe for bourbon banana bread from Smitten Kitchen.  I had all of the ingredients on hand, so I whipped it up in no time.  I made two mini loaves so I could experiment a bit- one loaf from the original recipe, and one with chocolate chips added.  Usually the addition of chocolate chips is a no-brainer, but Robert actually said he preferred the plain version.  Go figure.  Both ways are delicious, and I'm sure there are other variations that would be a hit as well!  

3 to 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup salted butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla and bourbon, then the spices. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, and mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Note: I made two mini-loaves versus one large, and baked them at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.