Barb's Banana Bread

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1-1/3 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 large ripe bananas

Combine separately in small bowl:

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1-2/3 cups flour (general purpose, not self rising)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together first 4 ingredients until mixture is blended. Beat in the bananas. Beat in the remaining ingredients until blended. Do not overbeat.

Spread batter into a greased 10-inch tube pan or use a large lined loaf pan and sprinkle top evenly with Walnut Streusel Topping. Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 50 -60 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove from pan. Serves 10.

Barb says she lines her loaf pan with parchment paper and as soon as she takes it out of the oven, she flips the pan upside down onto a sheet of aluminum foil to cool. I baked it splitting it into two—using 2 paper loaf pans. I’d say 45-50 minutes. Maybe start out at 350 for 10 minutes.

Walnut Streusel Topping:

• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cold, diced butter--small pebbles
• 1/4 cup chopped fine walnuts