BETTER BANANA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F) and adjust a rack to the center position.
• Lightly butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan (regular or nonstick).
• Whisk together the first four ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
• Place the eggs, sour cream, butter and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor.
• Process until the mixture is homogenous, about 30 seconds.
• Break up the bananas into 1 inch pieces and add them to the food processor.
• Pulse until the bananas are broken up but not quite puréed with small chunks remaining (about six 1 second pulses).
• Add the banana mixture along with the optional mandatory nuts to the dry ingredients.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold together until the dry ingredients are just moistened and no streaks of flour remain.
• Transfer to the prepared loaf pan and bake until the top is a dark golden brown with a cracked, domed top, and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes.
• (Start checking bread after 45 minutes.) Cool for 5 minutes before removing bread from pan.
• Continue to cool on a wire rack for several minutes more.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.