• 1 1/4 cups sugar 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium) 1/2 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup chopped nuts, if desired

Recipe Steps:

• Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches.
• Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
• Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour into pans.
• Bake 8-inch loaves about 1 hour, 9-inch loaf about 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack
• Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.