Melanie's Banana Bread

• 1 box Jello instant banana pudding
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp fresh ground nutmeg*
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 4 large over-ripe bananas (approximately 2 cups)
• 2 tsp crème de banana
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1½ cups chopped pecans

Pre-heat oven to 350º. Grease and flour two 9x5 loaf pans.

Prepare dry ingredients in a large bowl: Sift flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and instant banana pudding and set aside.

Prepare wet ingredients in a separate bowl: Cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until blended. Add bananas and mix until well blended. Add crème de banana and vanilla and mix until blended.

Divide dry ingredients into three batches and mix each batch into wet ingredients until just blended. Stir in pecans.

Divide batter equally between the two loaf pans. Bake from 45 to 70 minutes until a knife inserted into the crown of the loaf comes out clean.

Let the loaves cool in their pans for at least 5 minutes. Turn loaves out onto a cooling rack and let cool completely. Wrap in aluminum foil to keep in moisture and refrigerate.

*Note: If fresh nutmeg and grinder is not available, then 1 tsp of bottled ground nutmeg can be substituted.