Emme's Banana Bread

My daughter Emily has always loved being in the kitchen with me and today, while we were washing the dishes before we started she says to me, "Mom, I love it when we're in the kitchen together.  Even if we're just doing dishes or we're baking cupcakes, I really like spending time with you in here."

My little angel made my heart happy and made me realize how I'm creating memories with her that she'll have for a lifetime.  It was a priceless moment and I decided I'd name the banana bread we were about to make after her.

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Grease and flour a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.

3. In an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar.

4. Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each.

5. In a small bowl, peel the bananas and mush them with a fork until most chunks are gone.

6. Add the cinnamon, milk, vanilla and nutmeg and stir with the fork until combined.

7. In another bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

8. Add the banana mixture to the butter/sugar and mix until just combined and then scrape down the sides of the bowl.

9. Slowly, add the flour mixture in three parts to the batter, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix just until incorporated.

10. Pour batter into loaf pan and spread evenly with spatula.

11. Generously sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture on top of the batter.

12. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

13. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.