Bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes.

2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. firmly packed vegetable shortening
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 lg. (about 3/4 lb.) very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
1/4 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan with non-stick vegetable oil cooking spray. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt onto waxed paper.

Beat together sugar, shortening and vanilla at moderate speed in mixer about 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, then bananas. By hand, stir in flour mixture, alternately with buttermilk, mixing after each addition only enough to moisten dry ingredients. (Add dry ingredients in thirds, buttermilk in two additions). Stir in walnuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan, spreading into corners.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 60-65 minutes or until loaf is richly browned and begins to pull way from sides of pan and is springy to the touch. Cool bread in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen around edge and invert to remove bread.