Baking Day - Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

This morning, feeling like something tasty for with my coffee but not wanting to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, I made a loaf of banana bread. Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread.

This is a really easy, and wonderfully basic recipe from Bill Granger - a self-taught Australian chef. I would call him the Jamie Oliver of the outback, if you catch my drift.... He's  His recipes are quite yummy.

Anyway, here is the recipe. It would make a lovely little gift, packaged in parchment and bakers twine, or as a simple accompaniment with your afternoon coffee. It's best served slightly warm, when the chocolate is nice and gooey, in a thick slice with lots of butter. Yum.

CHOC BANANA BREAD

makes 1 large loaf

2 cups of flour

2 tsp baking powder

4 ripe bananas

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

4 1/2 oz (5 tbsp) butter, soft

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup good quality milk or semi-sweet chocolate (chopped or chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set aside one loaf tin, ungreased. I use a 7 1/2" x 3 1/2" I believe. It's slightly smaller, so it's makes a nice, high loaf. In a small bowl, whisk flour and baking powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, mash up bananas. Add sugar, vanilla butter and eggs. Stir until combined. Add in four mixture and fold until almost incorporated. Add chocolate and continue folding batter. Do not over mix, or you will loose the moist softness of the loaf. Pour batter into tin and smooth top. Bake for 1 hour, possibly a bit longer, until skewer comes out clean when tested. Let this sit in pan for 10 minutes before removing to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

There's something about enjoy a piece of this with a coffee. I think it's a great compliment because it's not too sweet, but there are still hints of chocolate. Plus, it's got just subtle hints of banana, and it's really moist and dense.

I prefer the smaller pan, because it's makes a really high loaf. It gets really golden and slightly crispy on the outside, with the perfect little crackling on the top. I also prefer chunks because it looks more uneven and rustic.

Oh, and the little guy approves - as if the chocolate smeared on his forehead and all over his cheeks wasn't enough evidence!