Clabber Girl Banana Bread

In many parts of the country you can find Clabber Girl leavening products, baking soda and baking powder. “Clabber” is a synonym for sour milk. In the early 1800s, clabber was mixed with pearl ash, soda and cream of tartar to produce an early version of baking powder. The brand is owned by Hulman & Company, founded in 1850 in Indiana. The company is alive and well. They do other things in Indiana: they bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1945. That was an early example of corporate diversification.

The picture shows an overflowing banana bread. We doubled the recipe below and used a 10‑by‑5 inch pan. That is 50 square inches compared to the 32 square inches called for in the 8‑by‑4 inch pan in the original pan.

Our pan runneth over in the picture. There is only a modest amount of sugar in this recipe. It’s not the traditional “sweet” banana bread you may have experience. The tone here is a deeper, denser banana one. A slice of this and a cup of espresso is a tasty breakfast.

Yield: 1 very large loaf, 16+ slices

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Clabber Girl Baking Powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup shortening, margarine, or butter
¼ cup chopped nuts
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon Clabber Girl Baking Soda
1 cup mashed ripe banana (2 to 3 bananas)
2 tablespoons milk
2 eggs

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour, the sugar, Clabber Girl Baking Powder, baking soda, and salt. Add mashed banana, shortening, and milk. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until blended. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs and remaining flour; beat until blended. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing. Makes 1 loaf (16 servings).

Clabber Girl Banana Bread