1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease & flour loaf pan.
2. Crumb sugar and shortening together in a large bowl.
3. Add eggs and mix well. Stir in vanilla extract.
4. Mash bananas and add to creamed mixture.
5. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. (Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon here if not using Cinnamon Sugar Swirl that follows.)
6. Whisk into banana mixture until blended.

Cinnamon Sugar Swirl

1. Combine all ingredients for cinnamon swirl and mix with pastry cutter or fork until it resembles small crumbs.
2. Pour half of banana bread batter into prepared loaf pan.
3. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar swirl crumbs on top of batter.
4. Pour remaining batter over crumbs.
5. Bake for 60-70 minutes. Check after 30 minutes to make sure top is not getting overly brown. If so, cover loosely with aluminum foil.
6. Test for doneness by inserting toothpick in center of bread. It is done if it comes out clean. Remove from oven to wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Remove from loaf pan and finish cooling on rack.

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

1. Melt butter.
2. Mix 1/4 cup sugar with 1 tablespoon cinnamon on flat cutting board or plate.
3. Brush butter on all sides of cooled bread.
4. Roll bread in cinnamon-sugar mixture until lightly coated.
5. Store in a sealed ziploc bag or wrap tightly in foil.