Oatmeal Banana Bread

My parents live about a mile from a Harris Teeter, which has some awesome sales and discount racks. We have been buying ripe bananas left and right! Whenever I bake banana bread I use the same recipe because I love it so much. But, I'd already made that twice since being here, so I looked around for a more unique version to try last week.

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup mashed banana (this was about 2.5 bananas)
4 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup buttermilk (*see note)
2 Tbsp molasses
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup dried fruit or nut of choice

In a medium mixing bowl cream the butter and sugars together. Add the egg, molasses, shortening, buttermilk (if you don't have on hand, make by adding 1 tsp lemon juice to 3/4 cup milk and let sit), and bananas. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Add dried fruit or nut, folding in. (I used 1/4 cup dried cranberries and 1/4 cup raisins.) Pour into a loaf pan and bake at 350F for 60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

The oats made this a lot more hearty than my usual recipe. I also love how dark it was because of the addition of molasses. The cinnamon and dried fruit in there were a nice touch, making it almost like a spice cake!