Butterscotch Banana Bread

Summertime conjures up images of relaxing, resting, and recuperating.  I think of hammocks and lemonade, and books with the corner of a page turned down.  

Sounds nice, doesn't it?  I wouldn't mind napping on the beach for an hour or two.  At least, I think I would like that.  When it comes to actually resting though, I have a hard time; and, my first week of summer has  made me realize that I often view rest as a euphemistic form of waiting.

A week at home is not a time to relax and read books and write and bake and play piano and and and.  It is a holding cage until I move into a new apartment, until I start a new internship, until I start fulfilling responsibilities and doing things again.  Honestly, that's what I feeling up until last night.

The reality is I'm meant to wait.  I wouldn't wait--rest--on my own, so God made circumstances such that I have no choice but to wait.  And that's a relaxing thought.

What does all of that have to do with banana bread?  Not much, I suppose, except that this "quick bread" really isn't too quick to make.  But it is easy.  

Whip together a batter, pour it into a pan, and bake.  

Bake, and wait.  

Then, enjoy.  Bite into a slice and enjoy a burst of butterscotch upon your tongue.  

Waiting has its rewards, I suppose.   

Butterscotch Banana Bread


Yield: 1 large loaf (9"x5")

Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup oil
4 ripe medium/large bananas, mashed
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions:


Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.

Grease and flour the bottom and sides of a 9"x5" loaf pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat sugar, oil, bananas, and eggs together with an electric mixer.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon together.  Add this mixture to the banana mixture, stirring just until wet.  Fold in butterscotch chips.

Pour batter into loaf pan and spread evenly.  Sprinkle chopped pecans on top of the batter.

Bake bread for 65 to 70 minutes at 350 deg. F. until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean.

Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes.  Remove bread from pan and cool completely on a wire rack before storing bread wrapped in aluminum foil and a plastic bag.