Banana Nut Bread

I had a couple of really ripe bananas left over and wasn't sure what to do with them then I decided to make this delicious banana nut bread.

Recipe adapted from North Carolina Bed & Breakfast Cookbook

Makes 1 loaf

1 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable oil, warmed
2 eggs, well beaten
3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped dates
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 very ripe bananas, mashed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour 1 (9x5-inch) loaf pan. In a mixer, cream sugar, butter and oil.  Mix in eggs, vanilla, pecans, raisins and dates. 
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix well. Add bananas and mix well.
3. Pour batter into pan. Bake for about 60 minutes, until bread begins to pull away from sides of pan and a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean (just make sure top is brown and let bread sit for a few minutes, it will continue to firm up as it cools).