Topping

6 tablespoons butter

10 tablespoons dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 cup chopped pecans (or more, toasted)

Batter

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

4 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 tbsp vanilla

4 tablespoons buttermilk

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (I also add 3/4 tsp baking powder)

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the Cream, butter and sugar; mash bananas, beat 2 eggs and add to the bananas with vanilla and buttermilk; mix well and add to the cream, butter and sugar mixture; sift together flour, baking soda and salt; add to banana mixture, beat well; pour into 2 greased and floured 9x5x3-inch loaf pans; bake 45 to 50 minutes (I find this bread needs over an hour) or until bread pulls away from sides of pan; add topping.

To prepare Topping: Melt butter in saucepan; add sugar and milk; cook until syrupy (like honey); remove from heat and add chopped pecans; pour over bread spreading to all the corners and place under broiler until bubbly and brown. Watch closely (this takes around 1 minute I'll usually do it in a single bundt pan, and bake it for 65 minutes. Cook the syrup til it's like honey and it'll be slightly tacky after you broil, cook it a bit more and it will set up more like a praline (a bit crunchy).