Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I began making this chocolate-chip banana bread about six years ago when I first moved to Minneapolis and in with the S.O.B.  He had a horrifying penchant for Nutri-Grain bars for breakfast, naively taken in by the shrewd marketing ploy of using the word “Nutri” in the name of the product (I am still screaming in horror a bit inside).  Although chocolate-chip banana bread is not symbolic of healthy, nutritious eating, its ingredients are controlled by preparing at home, there are no preservatives or unknown additives whose names I cannot pronounce, and as the S.O.B. likes to say in a sappy voice, “It’s made with loooove”.   Ahem…it also freezes extremely well, so making a large batch is well advised.  

As a tip: I prefer to use bananas that have been frozen.  What?!?  You throw over ripe bananas away?!?  NO!  Stop doing that!  When your bananas become overripe, throw them in the freezer, people!  What, are you some fancy pants rich person who can afford to throw bananas around aimlessly and without thought?  The plus side of freezing ripe bananas is when you need a banana or two for a smoothie or baked product, they are right there, happily waiting to be used for a higher purpose.   Just a forewarning, though, when frozen bananas thaw, they become a little nasty looking.  The peels turn black, and they are super squishy; however, for this recipe, it removes the step of mashing them.  A minute saved is a minute gained for something fun, like shopping for Clinique products, buying a new Coach bag, or just a good old French tip manicure.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

½ cup (1 stick) butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs, beaten

4 bananas, mashed

5 tablespoons milk

½ bag chocolate chips (4 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder,salt, and cinnamon. In stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream sugars, butter, and vanilla.  Add mashed bananas and beaten eggs to creamed mixture. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Stir in milk and chocolate chips. Spread into oiled and floured miniature loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  Test by  poking with a toothpick, if it comes out clean, the loaves are done.

Yield:

Mini loaf pans = 8

Muffin pan = 12

Regular loaf pan = 2

After removing from oven, remove loaves or muffins from pan and cool on a baking rack.  Once cooled, wrap in freezer wrap or plastic zip bag, and store in freezer.  Serve as needed.  I take one out in the mornings and pop it into the S.O.B.’s lunchbox.  By the time he wants his breakfast, it is thawed and ready to go.  If not, he sticks it in the office microwave for about 30 seconds, and it is reborn to its original warm and melty, chocolately-chippy glory.  If overnight guests, stick them in a warm oven for a few minutes.  They will taste like they are freshly baked, and your guests will be amazed at how early you got up after drinking that gallon of sangria just to bake them a breakfast treat!

Next week, fellow freaks!  <3  Mama Lanette