Banana Bread II

Ingredients

 * 9 Tbsp butter, softened
 * ¼ tsp salt
 * ¼ cup seedless raisins (optional)
 * 2 large ripe bananas (1 lb.)
 * 2 cup all purpose flour
 * 1 tsp vanilla extract
 * 1 Tbsp baking powder
 * ½ cup sugar
 * 1 egg
 * ¾ cup unsalted nuts (optional)
 * ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, preferably fresh

Directions

 * 1) Preheat the oven to 350°F.
 * 2) Reserve ¼ cup of the most perfectly shaped nuts for the garnish. Chop the rest of the nuts coarsely and toss them with the raisins and 1 Tbs. of the flour. Sift the remaining flour with the baking powder, nutmeg and salt.
 * 3) In a small bowl, mash the bananas to a smooth puree. Stir in the vanilla and set aside.
 * 4) In a deep bowl, cream the remaining butter and the sugar together.
 * 5) Add the egg, and when it is well blended beat in the flour and the bananas alternately, adding about one third of each mixture at a time, and continue to beat until the batter is smooth. Gently but thoroughly stir in the chopped nuts and raisins.
 * 6) Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and arrange the reserved nuts attractively on the top. Bake the bread in the middle of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out on a wire cake rack. Serve the banana bread either warm or cool.