naramata-blend

This recipe for chocolate banana bread makes the best banana bread I’ve ever tasted. It’s not bragging if it’s true. Often gourmet means hard-to-find ingredients, multiple complex steps and lots of dishes to deal with. Not so here. It’s easy to make and you won’t be sorry the recipe makes two loaves. I gave my second loaf to our coffee date pals to take home but you could easily freeze the other loaf (peel off the banana half topping first though as it won’t freeze well). If you don’t eat the other whole loaf in one day…almost impossible but…peel off the banana topping slices (and eat them) before wrapping up the leftovers for the following day.

• 1 cup very ripe bananas mashed with a fork (about two bananas)
• 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (you could get away with vanilla yogurt if that’s all you have)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs (I got mine from Lucy down the road…choose free-range if you can…caged chickens have a terrible life)
• 1 1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (use the real stuff if you can)
• 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
• 6 oz. dark chocolate chopped

• 2 bananas, cut in half lengthwise
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp sugar

Butter two loaf pans and line each with parchment paper, letting it hang over the sides.

Preheat your oven to 350F.

In a bowl, mash your bananas and combine with the sour cream or yogurt.

In another bowl, sift the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.

In a third bowl with an electric mixer (or a whisk and a lot of elbow grease), beat the butter until soft and fluffy and add the eggs one at a time until well combined and light. Then add in the brown sugar and vanilla and beat a few more minutes. Stir in the flour mixture alternating with the banana cream mixture. Do not overbeat at this point just mix until combined. With a spatula, stir in the chocolate and spread batter into the pans.

Place the banana halves on a plate and sprinkle with the lemon juice and sugar.

Place the banana halves on top of the batter and push them in lightly.

Bake in the 350F oven with the rack in the middle position for 45 to 50 minutes. They are done when the tops are a light golden brown and a toothpick or knife inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean.

Et voila. My French bread plate says, “Give us our daily bread.” Should have added in the word “banana”.