Ann Rhodes of Cambridge sent an urgent plea for a banana bread recipe. She had lost the one she had while traveling.

She wrote that her family enjoyed the bread so much and won't forgive her for losing the recipe.

Madeline Collins of Bel Air sent in the recipe chosen by our tester, Laura Reiley. It was taken from the "Fallston Presbyterian Church Cookbook" (1986). It was submitted to the cookbook by Susie and Carol Himmer. Collins says the recipe is easy and makes a very moist bread. "I always make it when I have an abundance of overripe bananas," she wrote. "The batter can be frozen for use later."

Among the many other recipes sent in for banana bread were those from Janann E. McCord of Timonium, Lou Romatowski of Catonsville, Mary Earl of Baltimore, and Bette Hardy and Barbara A. Broady of Ellicott City.

Banana Bread

Makes 1 large loaf

3 or 4 overripe bananas

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Mash bananas with a fork. Stir in other ingredients. Pour into a buttered loaf pan and bake for 1 hour in a preheated, 325-degree oven. Batter can be frozen for later use.

Tester Reiley's comments: "I used 4 small bananas, which yielded a bread that was moist and very rich with banana flavor. It is a great snack when still warm, but also lovely cold or lightly toasted. Wrapped in foil, it kept well for almost a week. Chopped pecans or walnuts might be a nice addition."

Recipe requests

* The Schwartz family of Ellicott City is seeking a recipe for biscuits similar to those sold at Popeye's fried chicken restaurants. The note from the family read, "The texture is much finer than that of regular biscuits, and they must use butter to make the top so wonderfully golden."

* Deborah Mosteika of Baltimore writes that she has been trying for years to duplicate the Amish macaroni salad made by Winter Salad and sold in grocery stores, but to no avail. "If anyone would have that recipe to share I would be so very grateful," she says.

* Gloria Moon of Joppa writes, "I would love to eat an Ameche's Powerhouse again. Since they are long gone, how about a recipe? I use the White Tower hamburger [recipe] you printed a while back, and the family loves it. The Powerhouse was sesame rolls, great sauce and better pickles. Just a recipe for the sauce would be great."

If you are looking for a recipe or can answer a request for a hard-to-find recipe, write to Ellen Hawks, Recipe Finder, The Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, Md. 21278. If you send in more than one recipe, please put each on a separate sheet of paper with your name, address and daytime phone number. Important: Please list the ingredients in order of use, and note the number of servings each recipe makes. Please type or print contributions. Letters may be edited for clarity.

Pub Date: 03/03/99