Chocolate banana bread had to be made. I couldn’t take it anymore!
There are a billion food posts right now on Foodgawker, Tastespotting and Foodbuzz all featuring bananas. We all know this house is a fruit free zone but OMG, I really really needed some banana bread in my life, and it had to involve chocolate.
So the other day I went to the market and actually purchased bananas.
I know! I wasn’t given someone’s old bananas, I actually paid $0.66 for bananas! (I even accosted some poor woman while I was at it asking how long it takes for a banana to go from green to brown. She looked at me like I was dumber then a bag of bricks.)
After securing my bananas and waiting a few days for them to turn brown, I was shocked to find that not many of my current on hand cook books had recipes for banana bread or muffins, much less a recipe for chocolate banana bread. It was narrowed down to Baked and Baking Illustrated rather quickly.
Baking Illustrated won only because I wasn’t feeling espresso powder at the time.
Chocolate Banana Bread
Inspired by Baking Illustrated, obliterated and destroyed by me
Ingredients:
- 2 cups unbleached All-purpose flour
- 10 tbs sugar
- 3/4 teas baking soda
- 1/2 teas salt
- 2 1/2 ounces grated bittersweet chocolate
- 1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/4 sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 6 tbs (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 tbs Kahlua, or other coffee flavored liquor
Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 350. Great the bottom and sides of a 9×5 loaf pan.
Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, grated chocolate, and chocolate chips together in a large bowl; set aside.
Mix the mashed bananas, sour cream, eggs butter and Kahlua with a wooden spoon in a bowl. Lightly fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined and the batter looks thick and chunky. Pour batter into the prepared load pan.
Bake until loaf is golden brown an a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 55 minutes*. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. (The bread can be wrapped with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
*Baking was tricky for my loaf. It took 1 hour and 5 minutes to finish. Normally, my oven cooks things fast, but the center of this bread did not want to set for me.
Fail for me on this one because I am pretty sure I jumped the gun on the bananas. Though they were spotty and brown, the banana flavor didn’t permeate through the bread in the way that I wanted. The Kahlua was a nice touch, and so were the chocolate chips, but this was not the chocolate banana bread that I was longing for.
It did have a great crust, though. I guess I’ll just have to try again. Dang.
elisabeth@foodandthriftfinds
Thursday 27th of January 2011
Thanks for the friend request...I opted to visit your blog, and comment here, instead. Love your blog, and following it now. Your chocolate banana bread is so yummy, and beautiful. Would love to try your recipe, since I make banana bread just about once a week, but never a chocolate one! Please come and visit my blog, and say, hello!
Nessie
Wednesday 26th of January 2011
I have soooo many bananas in my freezer just waiting to be turned into this banana bread. I am inspired. Your photos are just getting more and more gorgeous x
briarrose
Tuesday 25th of January 2011
Awesome post. ;) The bread looks delicious....I think I feel a new craving coming on. Fortunately I do have some bananas sitting on the counter.
Kat @ Cupcake Kat
Monday 24th of January 2011
This sounds amazing. Chocolate, banana, and coffee I could eat a whole loaf!
SharleneT
Monday 24th of January 2011
Sounds delicious. I'm not a cooked banana fan and was never tempted by banana bread -- but, I did bake it for my family. They just got more! Will have to try this at the next get-together. Thanks for sharing and finally getting it done! Come visit when you can...