Banana Bread. Nailed it.

I have never made my own banana bread, but I was in the mood to bake. Looking in the pantry, I found a box of Aldi brand baking mix. Then, I realized I had just put some bananas in the freezer "just in case." I had never done that before. So, I found a recipe using baking mix and bananas...and made my first loaf of banana bread! I even got to use a fancy-schmansy bread knife and perfect slicer! One of the amazing hand-me-downs I've have been able to acquire. :) I don't think I had enough bananas, so I will be excited to plan this out and try again! This was super easy and was moist. It was not as dense as some GF breads I've had, and not the lightest. For a GF bread, I would say it was pretty good. (I was able to use the KitchenAid mixer for the entire recipe. I also used a glass Pyrex dish for baking) 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter 1 cup brown sugar, light or dark, firmly packed 3 large eggs 2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 4 1/2 medium bananas) 2 1/4 cups King Arthur Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Mix* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional 1 tablespoon sparkling white sugar, optional *Make sure you use our gluten-free BAKING MIX — NOT our gluten-free flour. Directions 1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan. 2) In a large bowl, stir together the oil or melted butter and sugar. 3) Add the eggs, mixing until well blended. 4) Add the mashed banana, baking mix, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg all at once, mixing until blended. 5) Stir in the walnuts. 6) Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar, if desired. 7) Allow the batter to rest 10 minutes. 8) Bake the bread for 45 minutes, then gently lay a piece of aluminum foil across the top, to prevent over-browning. 9) Continue to bake until the top springs back and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few wet crumbs clinging to it, an additional 20 to 25 minutes. 10) Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Run a table knife around the edges, turn it out of the pan, and cool completely on a rack. Yield: 1 loaf, about 16 slices.