I am still working on my freezers. The garage freezer is pretty much done. Mostly beef and some jugs of raw apple cider from last Fall’s harvest. I am slowly working on the kitchen freezer. It’s mostly items suited for baking. Flours, nuts and seeds, egg whites, ganache and too many brown mushy bananas. I like to contribute this problem to my husband. He always writes bananas on the grocery list and I always buy what’s on the list. I don’t eat many bananas and I am starting to think he doesn’t either!
I tire of the traditional banana bread so I am always looking for new recipes and ideas to deplete my stash. So when I came across this recipe for a Double-Chocolate Loaf I thought it might be easily modified to incorporate ripe sugary bananas and less refined sugar. It’s very chocolaty, which I love, with a subtle taste of banana. The banana is not overpowering which I usually find to be the case.
Please don’t forget the chocolate chips like I did the last time I made the loaf. The chocolate chips are everything! It has to be DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE!
Looking forward to eating from the garden. I have already harvested radishes and spinach and look forward to sharing garden fresh recipes throughout the summer. The Gardens Series is coming soon!
Double-Chocolate Loaf / Adapted from Baked Explorations; Classic American Desserts Reinvented
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
3/4 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 c. dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour + 1/4 c. for high altitude
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3/4 c. whole milk
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 ripened bananas
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
WHAT TO DO
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 in by 5 in loaf pan, dust with flour and knock out the excess.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, add all the dry ingredients. Give a quick mix.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
Mash the bananas and add to the dry ingredients.
Turn the mixer to low and slowly stream the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Add chocolate chips and give a quick mix.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve with butter, peanut butter or both!
