Nana's Banana Bread

This recipe was one of those freebies sent to entice me into buying a month-club stack of accumulating recipe cards that I'm sure I would have had to buy a box for and never would have looked at again... I kept this particular one because the name was cute (my husband calls one of his grandmothers "Nana") and I just love banana bread. Just so I give credit where credit is due, this recipe can also be found on www.grandmaskitchenrecipes.com. One of my neighbors at my old house was out every weekend fishing and every so often he would gift us with a delicious fresh fish from his catch! Since he was a single dad and didn't do much baking, I was happy to return the favor by baking his family cookies, brownies, and banana bread. He raved so much about the banana bread, I noticed my other neighbors started increasing their generosity to us as well. :)

Nana's Banana Bread
5 Tbsp butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar,
1 large egg, 2 egg whites, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 very ripe mashed bananas
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp baking powder,
1/2 cup heavy cream (I have also made this with Fat Free Half and Half with great results.)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (Optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray bottom only of 9x5xx3-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Beat butter in large bowl with an electric mixer set at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat well. Add egg, egg whites and vanilla; beat until well blended. Add mashed banana, and beat on high speed 30 seconds.
Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in medium bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with cream, ending with flour mixture. Add walnuts to batter; mix well.

Pour batter evenly into prepared loaf pan. Bake until browned and toothpick inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Cool bread in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Slice and serve, or wrap in plastic wrap to keep the bread moist. Yum!