I did it!

I've been working on something: the perfect banana bread.

I have tried dozens of recipes for banana bread in hopes of achieving that a bread that is dense, dark, moist, and banana-y. Most of the time I get a light, yellowish bread with a very nice outer crust with what seems to be only a touch of the banana's flavor. I think these breads have their time and place, but not now and not here.

You know you want my bread. So here's how to do it:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Lightly grease your 9 x 5 loaf pan with shortening and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.

Peel and mash 3 or 4 very ripe bananas. Set aside.
In the oven (as it preheats), toast 1/2 cup of pecan halves. Let them cool while you bring the batter together. 

Sift together

1 and 2/3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt.

With either a hand or stand mixer whisk until fluffy

1 cup + 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar 
2 room temperature eggs.

With mixer on low, drizzle

1/2 cup melted and cooled butter.

Stir in the mashed bananas with a spatula or paddle attachment followed by

2 Tbsp. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract.

Gently fold in the dry ingredients just until mixed. Finely chop the toasted, cooled pecans in a food processor and gently fold them into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before removing the bread from the pan.

Enjoy!