Monday, May 2, 2011
Seeing Double: Double Chocolate Banana Bread
I love banana bread with chocolate chips. But what's one ingredient that could make it even better? Cocoa powder! That's the key here and it makes this bread double chocolaty!
Instead of making two large 9-inch loaves, I distributed the batter among 3 smaller loaf pans. Then, when the loaves were done baking and cooling, I immediately froze a few of them, knowing I alone could not eat that whole recipe before the bread spoiled! Ok, I probably could have eaten all of the loaves, but I wouldn't have been happy about it a week later.
When the bread has been sitting out for a few days and it's not as fresh as on day 1, it makes amazing toast. Try it with a little orange marmalade or even simply a light spread of butter. How about some peanut butter? Everyone knows chocolate, bananas, and peanut butter were meant for each other. Mmm.
Double Chocolate Banana Bread
Recipe adapted from The Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookbook
Makes two 9-inch loaves
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated white sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
4 large ripe bananas, mashed
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder mixed with 1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two 9 by 5-inch loaf pans or three or four smaller loaf pans. You can mix and match sizes; just be mindful of the baking time as smaller loaf pans need less baking time.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the milk and bananas, beating until well blended.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, unsweetened cocoa-sugar mixture, baking powder, and salt. Gradually, add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Mix on low just until combined; be careful not to overmix! Gently stir in the chocolate chips (with a spoon, not the mixer). Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
Bake for 60 to 75 minutes (less time for smaller loaf pans), until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Set the pans on a rack to cool for 15 minutes, and then turn the loaves out of the pans to cool completely. To freeze, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then place in freezer bags.
Step-by-Step in Pictures
Combine dry ingredients with cocoa and 1/2 cup sugar...
Set aside...
Cream the butter and sugar together...
Add the eggs, one at a time...
Beat in the milk...
Beat in the bananas...
Stir in the dry ingredients/cocoa-sugar mixture...
Stir in the chocolate chips...
Spread the batter evenly into the pans...
Bake at 350 degrees F for 60 to 75 minutes...
Slice and serve...
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3 comments:
Double chocolate definitely means quadruple good! ;)
Carolyn - I like your math! :)
Marni, I made this bread last night using three 8x4 inch pans. I even used the "good" chocolate (baking cocoa), but reduced the chocolate chips to about one cup and used mini choc chips. Oh man, is this bread FANTASTIC! So moist, so totally yummy - really, more chocolate-y than banana-ey. Thank you for the recipe! Super, super good.
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