This week I found myself with a few over ripe bananas, so Scott requested banana bread. Regular banana bread was not very exciting, so I looked around a bit. Chocolate in banana bread sounded like fun, so I decided we’d give it a try. This recipe came out great, very moist and fluffy. Like a nice mix of chocolate cake and banana bread. We had it warm with a little butter right away, but it was just as good after it cooled just by itself.
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 ripe large bananas, mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 and place oven rack to middle position. Grease and flour the bottom and sides of a loaf pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. Don’t over mix the batter, you do not want it smooth. Over mixing the batter will yield tough, rubbery bread.
Place chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 cup batter to chocolate, stirring until well combined.
Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter into loaf pan. Swirl batters together using a knife. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan.
I dropped off a chunk with my mom last night, she’s always complaining that she doesn’t get to eat the things I’m blogging about. She has somehow managed to keep my choco-holic stepdad from trying it, and it’s a good thing, or there’d be none left!
– Jodi
Two Girls Cooking 
