Banana Bread Mini Loaf

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Since the checker at the market chose to put my canned goods in the bag on top of my bananas, some had to be sacrificed to bread.  My sweetheart got at this loaf and snarfed up the heel slice before I could get a photo, I was lucky to get a shot at all!  This was meant to also have a chocolate glaze, but the unsweetened chocolate that was in my grocery basket was never rung up by the checker.  No way was I driving all the way back to town when I got home and discovered I didn't have it (since I also was not charged for it), so I decided to just make the bread without the glaze, which is of course also perfectly good. 

• 1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 C sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 C mashed ripe banana 
• 2 Tbsp plain yogurt
• 1/4 C chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour a mini loaf pan (5 1/2 " x 3") . 
2.  In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. 
3.  In another medium bowl, beat sugar, eggs, and butter until fluffy.  Slowly beat in bananas and yogurt.  Add flour mixture and mix just until blended.  Do not overmix or the bread will be tough.  Stir in nuts if using. 
4.  Pour batter into prepared pan and bake on middle shelf for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove from pan to finish cooling on wire rack.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let stand overnight to allow flavours to mellow. 

Robyn's notes: I did not use the nuts, because I'm not able to eat them.  For me, the amount of banana needed was one-and-a-half medium bananas once the completely black bruised sections had been cut out.  This probably translates to one large banana that hasn't been manhandled by a checker who was presumably having a lousy day.  My baking time was 40 minutes.  While this recipe is being posted on November 8th, I made the bread on November 3rd, because I wasn't feeling well and was looking for motivation to get out of bed.  Unfortunately, in the end, the real motivation came in the form of needing to get to the hospital, and I'm still not well.  The reason I mention this at all is that as a result, I didn't get to eat any of this bread.  Everything I try to eat, even water, is horribly painful at the moment, so on Tuesday as we stopped at the polls to vote on our way back from the hospital, I told my sweetie to please finish the bread so it wouldn't be wasted, instead of holding it in hopes I'd be better and could try it.  He really liked it, but since I can't say at all I've decided to give it 3 stars.  If I make it again and am able to try it, I may revise that rating. 

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often