Peelabanana for Santa: Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

O.K. I know Bananas don't jump to mind when you think Santa and Christmas, but the United Fruit Company thought you should. Check out this cool Retro 1967 Ad from the United Fruit Company. There's a recipe for Banana Quick Bread on the ad, but I am posting my favorite Banana Bread recipe--with Chocolate Chunks, of course. Santa can use the extra energy from the chocolate. Want to be festive? Double the recipe and bake it in a holiday bundt pan.

PEELABANANA: CHOCOLATE CHUNK BANANA BREAD

Ingredients
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4-5 ounces dark chocolate (70-85% cacoa) very coarsely chopped (you can always substitute chocolate chips)

Directions
Heat oven to 350ºF. Stir eggs, bananas, oil, and milk until blended. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; stir until just moistened. Stir in chocolate chunks.
Pour into greased 9x5 inch loaf pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cook in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cool on wire rack.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chunks

I have several recipes for Banana Bread, and every time I make banana bread, I change it up a bit. It usually depends on what's in the pantry, and mostly it doesn't matter. Two musts: baking soda and over ripe bananas--black and squishy, if possible!

The other day I was out of whole milk, so I used 1/2 half and half and 1/2 two percent. I actually prefer buttermilk, but you use what you have. Oil or butter? Well, I used butter this last time, but oil works just as well, and I think I might even prefer it, but my canola oil was a bit rank, so I threw it out. I did think about olive oil, but opted for Irish butter! As always, I added chocolate chunks. Oh, and this is a one bowl recipe! How easy is that!!!


BANANA BREAD WITH CHOCOLATE CHUNKS
Makes 1 loaf--easily doubled!

Ingredients
1/2 cup sweet butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 medium-sized bananas (I used 4 smaller ones), very ripe
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp Madagascar vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 dark chocolate, chopped

Directions
Preheat  oven to 350°F. Line 8 x 5 loaf pan with parchment, letting excess hang over the sides. Spray  inside with nonstick cooking spray. (this last time I buttered the pan and then used some flour)
1. Whisk together melted butter and sugar in mixing bowl until combined. (If you cream the sugar and butter, you'll have a more cake-like banana bread--always a choice!)
2. Add eggs and whisk until combined and mixture is smooth.
3. Whisk milk and vanilla into batter.
4. Peel bananas and add to bowl. Using a fork, mash them into the batter. Leave bananas as chunky or as smooth as you prefer.
5. Add flour, baking soda, and salt to bowl. Switch to spatula and stir until ingredients are just barely combined and no more dry flour is visible. (Don't overstir)
6. Fold in nuts and chocolate.
7. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Smooth top of batter.
8. Bake 55 to 65 minutes: Bake until top of banana bread is dark brown with some yellow insides showing (there's usually a crack down the top) and toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean. Baking time varies, so start checking around 50 minutes or so.
9. Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes.
10. Lift loaf out of pan and set on cooling rack to cool for another 10 minutes before slicing.

National Banana Bread Day: Add Chocolate Chunks

Tomorrow is National Banana Bread Day, and I just love Banana Bread. Truly it's one of my favorite foods. What could be better than a great Banana Bread with Chocolate Chunks. What a way to celebrate National Banana Bread Day! Giving you a day's heads up, so you can make sure you have all the ingredients!

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chunks

2 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4-5 ounces dark chocolate (70-85% cacoa, organic, Fair trade) very coarsely chopped (I like them big)

Heat oven to 350ºF. Stir eggs, bananas, oil and milk until blended. Add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; stir until just moistened. Stir in chocolate.

Pour into greased 9x5 inch loaf pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cook in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cool on wire rack.