chocolate swirl marbled banana bread

we've made many loaves of banana bread over the years.  we've made traditional banana walnut bread, and we've switched it up by adding other things in (peanut butter banana bread and chocolate chip banana bread) but we've never marbled banana bread.

we've made marbled cakes and love them because the swirl pattern is always so pretty and because you don't have to choose between vanilla and chocolate cake since you get both!

we had some bananas on the kitchen counter that took some abuse from the recent high heat and humidity.  i took one off the banana tree for a smoothie and the others fell right off because their peels were so ripe.  oops!  i couldn't let those bananas sit with open peels, so i had to drop what i was doing and make something with them.

i wanted to make something a bit different than a traditional banana bread, and after just a few moments of searching banana bread images on pinterest, i came across a marbled banana bread and was intrigued.

this recipe is so easy.  it's a simple base banana bread recipe that takes half of the batter and adds melted chocolate in order to make two contrasting colored batters.  since chocolate and banana are two flavors that go great together, these two batters marbled together give this bread a great flavor!

chocolate swirl marbled banana bread
prep time: 10 minutes
baking time: 55 minutes
yields: 1 loaf
adapted from just a taste

ingredients:
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 large eggs
5 tablespoons melted coconut oil, cooled
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup granulated white sugar

directions:
preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  in a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips for 30-second increments, stirring between until smooth.  set aside to cool.

in a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas, milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla.  beat with an electric hand mixer to combine.  add the flour, baking soda, and sugar.  beat just until combined.  remove half of the batter and place it in a separate bowl.  fold the melted chocolate into one half of the batter.

grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper.  fill the loaf pan with alternating scoops of the banana batter and the chocolate batter.  use a knife to gently swirl the batters together for a marbled look.  bake for 55 minutes until the bread is golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean.  allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan and transferring it to a wire rack to finish cooling.

enjoy!

love, laurie

peanut butter banana bread

goodness gracious!  i truly cannot believe that the last time i posted a recipe on the blog was all the way back in july and here we are on the first day of march!  that's a record.  it's not that i haven't been making all sorts of delicious things in the past 8 months, it's just that i've been so incredibly busy that i haven't had a chance to take a single picture of anything that i've made.  sad, for sure.

on sunday i was looking around my kitchen and sighed as my eyes fell on 3 overly ripe bananas sitting on the counter.  i love bananas and had high hopes for this bunch when i bought them at the grocery store last weekend, but the weather was so back-and-forth that i think those silly bananas got confused and turned ripe too fast.  sure, we'll blame it on the weather.

what does one do with ripe bananas?  make banana bread, of course.  i absolutely love banana bread in every format.  there is something nostalgic about banana walnut muffins, and something cozy about a slice of banana bread from a loaf.  i knew i wanted to make a loaf of banana bread, but i wanted to change it up a bit and do something different from the traditional chopped walnuts in it.  thus, peanut butter.

peanut butter and banana is one of those classic combinations that i go back to again and again because it never lets me down.  march 1st is national peanut butter lovers day, by the way!  this was the first time i added peanut butter to the batter of my banana bread and let me tell you, it did not disappoint!

as soon as you slice into this loaf it has such a wonderful peanut butter smell.  the taste of the peanut butter is subtle and gives the banana bread a nice little added something.  it's a surprisingly light and fluffy bread too!

ps: the cute place mat that is under the loaf was made by ryan's aunt sandy.  she sure is great when it comes to sewing projects!

peanut butter banana bread
prep time: 10 minutes
baking time: 1 hour
yields: 1 loaf
adapted from love and olive oil

ingredients:
6 tablespoons salted butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

directions:
preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar.  add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each.  beat in the vanilla and mashed bananas.  in a microwave warm the peanut butter for 45-50 seconds until slightly melted.  add the peanut butter to the batter and beat well.  sift the dry ingredients into the batter and mix just until incorporated.

pour the batter into a loaf pan that is greased lined with parchment paper.  bake for 1 hour until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean.  allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan and transferring it to a wire rack to finish cooling.

enjoy!

love, laurie

national homemade bread day

today is national homemade bread day and goodness gracious, ryan and i both love bread!  this week i made homemade cast-iron skillet rosemary focaccia bread which tasted great but didn't rise like i had hoped.  oh well, it's a good excuse to try again!  here are some of our favorite bread recipes:
fluffy white sandwich bread
whole wheat rosemary bread
homemade soft pretzels
cheddar and honey cornbread biscuits with parsley and chives
corn and cheddar scones
sun-dried tomato, chive, and asiago cheese mini scones
individual cornbread squares
rustic cast-iron skillet irish soda bread

and let's not forget sweet breads too:
chocolate chip banana bread
zucchini bread
cinnamon rolls

happy baking!

love, laurie

vegan irish soda bread (with dried cherries)

happy st. patrick's day!  i'm not irish, and i don't really celebrate st. patrick's day, but i do enjoy homemade irish soda bread once per year.  in the past, i've shared recipes for cast-iron skillet irish soda bread and irish soda bread scones.  this year, i wanted to try something different and try my hand at vegan irish soda bread.  it turns out it's super simple to make this well-known treat vegan, and it is super delicious.  i only had a little bit of raisins left in the pantry, so i added in some dried cherries (which i know is not traditional at all) and they were really great.  i love it served warm with a cup of tea.

vegan irish soda bread
prep time: 10 minutes
baking time: 45 minutes
yields: one 8-9 inch round loaf of bread

ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried cherries
1 teaspoon caraway seeds

directions:
preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.  combine the milk and the vinegar and set aside for 5 minutes.  in a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, raisins, cherries, and caraway seeds.  pour in the milk mixture and stir with a wooden spoon just until incorporated and a dough forms.  pour the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed a few times into a ball.  place dough in a greased cast-iron skillet and cut an "x" in the top of the dough with a serrated knife.  bake for 45 minutes until the crust is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  once baked, allow the bread to set in the skillet for 10 minutes before cutting.  serve warm.

enjoy!

love, laurie

sun-dried tomato, chive, and asiago cheese mini scones

when we were preparing the menu for our mother's day tea party, we knew that we wanted to include scones.  since the tea party was in the late afternoon being enjoyed as a dinner, we wanted to stick with a savory scone instead of a sweet scone.  we threw together some ingredients and ended up with delicious savory scones with incredible flavor thanks to the sun-dried tomatoes, fresh chives, and asiago cheese in them.  we made these scones miniature since we were having them at the tea party, but you could easily make them larger too.  they sure are addicting!

sun-dried tomato, chive, and asiago cheese mini scones
prep time: 10 minutes
baking time: 10-15 minutes
yields: 24 mini scones

ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons salted butter, cold
1 large egg, beaten
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1-2 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
1/2 cup asiago cheese, shredded

directions:
preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  combine the flour, cornmeal, and baking powder in a large bowl.  dice the butter into small cubes and add to the flour mixture.  use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is in pea-sized pieces.  use a spatula or a wooden spoon to mix in the beaten egg and the buttermilk.  fold in the sun-dried tomatoes, chives, and cheese.  dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for 1 minute until it is all combined and the tomatoes, chives, and cheese are evenly distributed.  roll the dough out into a rectangle and cut into small triangles with a pizza cutter or a sharp knife.  place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  bake for 10-15 minutes, until the outsides are golden brown.

enjoy!

love, laurie

rustic cast-iron skillet irish soda bread

somehow we're halfway through the month of march already and st. patrick's day is tomorrow.  i've mentioned before that i'm not irish, so i tend not to celebrate st. patty's day at all.  however, last year i got a little bit festive and made irish soda bread scones.  we enjoyed them so much that i thought i would make a loaf of irish soda bread this year.

since i'm not irish i don't have an irish grandmother, but if i did this is the type of irish soda bread i imagine she would have made "back in the day."  this is classic irish soda bread at its finest made in a cast-iron skillet which gives it a very crusty outside and a tender inside.  it's filled with raisins and it's not sweet at all.  it's just right.

the best part about this recipe is that it is such a quick and easy bread recipe.  there's no yeast, just baking soda (hence the name soda bread) so you don't have to wait around for dough to rise!

rustic cast-iron skillet irish soda bread
prep time: 10 minutes
baking time: 45-55 minutes
yields: one 10-inch round loaf of bread
adapted from sally's baking addiction

ingredients:
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons cold salted butter, divided
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
1 cup raisins

directions:
preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.  in a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, and baking soda.  cut 4 tablespoons of the cold butter into small cubes and work the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter (or a fork) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  fold in the raisins.  in a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the egg.  add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently fold with a wooden spoon or spatula until all ingredients are incorporated.  turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently kneed for a few moments to make sure all of the flour is incorporated and the dough is not too sticky.

place the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in the skillet and place the skillet in the oven.  let the butter melt for a few minutes then remove the skillet from the oven and evenly spread the melted butter around the bottom and the sides of the skillet.  place the dough in the prepared skillet.  use a serrated knife to score an x shape in the top of the dough.  bake for 45-55 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the bread is cooked throughout.  (if the top starts to brown too much, cover with aluminum foil partway though to avoid getting too dark.)  once baked, remove from the oven and allow the bread to set in the skillet for 10 minutes before removing it from the skillet and transferring it to a wire cooling rack.  serve warm with butter and/or jam.

enjoy!

love, laurie

mini cranberry coffee cake loaves

we really enjoyed staying at home all weekend and not leaving the house, and a lazy winter sunday morning at home in our pajamas called for a fun breakfast.  since we had fresh cranberries at home, i made cranberry coffee cake for breakfast.  it was a lovely treat to go alongside our scrambled eggs.

the cake is super moist and delicious, and the flavor of the tart cranberries goes so well with the sweet batter and the streusel topping.  instead of making one large coffee cake, or individual muffins, i made two mini loafs.  (my mom found these adorable mini loaf pans at michael's craft store last winter.)  i love a recipe that only makes a small amount.  one mini loaf was the perfect size to share, which meant we had one for breakfast and one leftover to enjoy the next day.

mini cranberry coffee cake loafs
prep time: 10 minutes
baking time: 30-35 minutes
yields: 2 mini loafs (5 inch by 3 inch)
adapted from dessert for two

muffin ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sour cream
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup fresh cranberries

streusel ingredients:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted

directions:
preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  in a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, sour cream, beaten egg, vanilla, sugar, salt, and spices.  sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda into the mixture.  whisk together to combine.  fold in the cranberries.  in a separate bowl, stir together all of the streusel ingredients with a fork.

grease two mini loaf pans.  fill the pans half way with the batter, then add about 1/4 of the streusel mixture on top on each.  pour the remaining batter on top and cover with the remaining streusel mixture.  place the loaf pans on a baking sheet, and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loafs comes out clean.  let cook in the pan for 15 minutes before serving.

enjoy!

love, laurie

cheddar and honey cornbread biscuits with parsley and chives

over the weekend, we made a batch of our vegetarian qunioa chili recipe so that we would have it to eat for dinner this week.  we love cooking on the weekends and then having the leftovers for dinner all week.  it makes dinner time so easy when all we have to do is walk in the door after work and heat something up.

whenever we make chili, we always love to make our favorite cornbread recipe to go along with it.  however, we wanted to change it up a bit this time.  instead of making traditional cornbread, we made cornbread biscuits.

these biscuits turned out so good!  they taste like cornbread because of the cornmeal in them, but they also have a little bit of sweetness thanks to the honey, and a great rich flavor thanks to the cheddar cheese.  the chives and parsley sprinkled throughout the dough gives them fun green speckles too.

instead of cutting the biscuits into circles, i cut them into triangles (so they looked like scones).  if you are a traditionalist, feel free to use a biscuit cutter to make perfect circles.  i was simply too lazy to dig our round biscuit cutter out of the basement, and the pizza cutter was closer, so there you have it . .  triangular biscuits.

regardless of their shape, these cheddar and honey cornbread biscuits are delicious.  they are best served warm, and they are a great compliment to a warm bowl of chili.

cheddar cornmeal biscuits with parsley and chives
prep time: 5-10 minutes
baking time: 15 minutes
yields: 8 biscuits

ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons salted butter, cold
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon dried chives
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

directions:
preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.  in a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and baking soda.  dice the cold butter into small cubes and add it to the dry ingredients.  use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is in pea-sized pieces.  in a separate bowl whisk together the egg, milk, and honey.  use a spatula to mix in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  fold in the shredded cheese along with the chives and parsley.

dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for 1 minute until it is all combined and the cheese is well distributed.  roll the dough out into a disk (about 3/4 inch thick) and cut into eight even triangles with a pizza cutter or a sharp knife.  place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  bake for 15 minutes, until the outsides are crusty and the insides are light and fluffy.  serve warm.

enjoy!

love, laurie

vegan zucchini bread

if you tasted this zucchini bread and didn't know that it was vegan, you would never believe me when i told you that it was.

we got a ton of zucchini from the farmer's market and we needed to use it up.  so, we made three (yes three!) loaves of zucchini bread.  we kept some for ourselves, shared some with my parents, and took some into work.  our co-workers loved it and could not believe that it was vegan.

it was moist, light, and fluffy inside with crispy edges on the outside.  so delicious!  (it also freezes really well too!)

this might just be the best zucchini bread i've ever had!

vegan zucchini bread
prep time: 10-15 minutes
baking time: 1 hour
yields: 1 loaf
adapted from joy the baker

ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
3 tablespoons ground flax seed meal
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups shredded zucchini

directions:
preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  grease the sides of a loaf pan and line the pan with parchment paper.  set aside.  in a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices.  set aside.  in a measuring cup, mix  together the milk and the vinegar (to make buttermilk).  in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk together the milk, flax seed meal, vegetable oil, vanilla, and sugars.  whisk thoroughly to combine.  mix in the shredded zucchini.  gradually add the sifted dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  whisk together until all of the flour is thoroughly incorporated into the batter.  pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the loaf comes out clean.  once baked, allow the bread to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before removing the bread from the pan and transferring it to a wire rack to finish cooling.

enjoy!

love, laurie

blueberry buttermilk scones

we brought home a bucket full of blueberries from when we went blueberry picking last week, and since then we have been putting blueberries in and on everything.

one of my favorite ways to eat them has been with a vanilla yogurt and the ginger, almond, cashew granola from trader joe's.  such a good combination.  yum!

in an effort to use up some of our blueberries, we made blueberry buttermilk scones.

these scones are simple and effortless to make.  they are soft and moist inside and they are loaded with blueberries.

whenever i think of scones, i always think of tea.  they seem to just go hand in hand.  these scones are great as a little snack with a cup of tea.

blueberry buttermilk scones
prep time: 15 minutes
baking time: 20 minutes
yields: 8 small scones

ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons cold salted butter
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh blueberries

directions:
preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  in a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder.  using a box grater, grate the cold butter into the dry ingredients.  cut the butter into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter until the butter is well distributed.  stir in the grated lemon zest.  make a well in the center of the mixture, and pour in the buttermilk.  use a spatula to incorporate the buttermilk into the flour mixture.  turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it comes together.  gently fold the blueberries into the dough.  form the dough into a circular disk approximately 8-9 inches in diameter.  cut the dough evenly into 8 triangles.  place the triangles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  freeze the triangles on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.  remove the baking sheet from the freezer, and brush the triangles lightly with buttermilk.  sprinkle the tops with a little bit of granulated sugar.  bake for 20 minutes, until lightly golden.  serve warm.

enjoy!

love, laurie

irish soda bread scones

i mentioned yesterday that i'm not irish, so i tend to not really celebrate st. patrick's day at all.  however, once in a while i do get a craving for irish soda bread.

so, in honor of st. patrick's day i decided to be festive and to make some irish soda bread.  instead of making it into a loaf, i made it into scones.

this recipe was so easy.  honestly, it has to be the simplest "bread" recipe that i have ever made.  there are only a handful of ingredients, and they come together in just a few moments to make the most delicious scones.

buttermilk is brushed on these scones before they bake to give them a wonderful crust on the outside, and the butter inside makes them perfectly flaky.

seriously, these things are addictive.  i made them on saturday morning, and we polished them off in no time.  they are great with some scrabbled eggs for breakfast, or just as a treat with a cup of coffee or tea.

this recipe is a keeper for sure.  i can't wait to make these again!

irish soda bread scones
prep time: 15 minutes
baking time: 20-25 minutes
yields: 6 scones
adapted from a cozy kitchen

ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons salted butter, cold
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup buttermilk

directions:
preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.  in a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and sugar.  using a box grater, grate the cold butter into the dry ingredients.  cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter until the butter is well distributed.  add the raisins and toss to coat them in the flour.  make a well in the center of the mixture, and pour in the buttermilk.  use a spatula to incorporate the buttermilk into the flour mixture.  turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it comes together.  form the dough into a circular disk approximately 8-9 inches in diameter.  cut the dough evenly into 6 triangles.  place the triangles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  freeze the triangles on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.  remove the baking sheet from the freezer, and brush the triangles with buttermilk.  sprinkle the tops with a bit of salt and granulated sugar.  bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.  serve warm with butter.

enjoy!

love, laurie

whole wheat rosemary bread

ryan and i love rosemary, and we absolutely love the rosemary olive oil bread from wegman's.  however, at about $4.50 per loaf, it is something that we only get once in a while.

last week, we made eggplant parmesan for dinner and we were both craving some rosemary bread to go along with our italian meal.  instead of buying a loaf from the grocery store, we decided to make our own.

in addition to bread flour, we also used white whole wheat flour to make the bread hearty.  we loaded the inside of the bread with fresh rosemary (you can never have too much rosemary in our opinion).

instead of making a rectangular loaf or a round loaf, we opted to braid the bread for a little extra pizaz.

we brushed the top of the bread with an egg wash and then and we topped the bread off with additional fresh rosemary and some sea salt too.

it smelled wonderful as it baked!

to be authentic, we dipped it in olive oil when we ate it (instead of spreading butter on it).

this bread was the perfect compliment to our italian dinner!

whole wheat rosemary bread
prep time: 20 minutes
rise time: 1 hour 45 minutes
baking time: 25 minutes
yields: 1 loaf
adapted from a hint of honey

ingredients:
1 cup warm water (between 100-115 degrees F)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3-4 tablespoons fresh rosemary
a dash of garlic powder
a dash of dried oregano
a dash of dried basil
a dash of salt
a dash of freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup bread flour
1 large egg, whisked with 1 tablespoon water (for the egg wash)
additional fresh rosemary and sea salt (for topping)

directions:
in the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a dough hook, combine the warm water, sugar, honey, and yeast.  stir gently and let sit for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.  stir in the rosemary, seasonings, and olive oil.  in a separate bowl, sift together the two flours.  gradually add the sifted flour until a dough ball forms.  using the dough hook, knead the dough for about 5 minutes until smooth (adding additional flour as needed if the dough gets too sticky).

remove the dough from the mixer and place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).  punch the dough down and separate the dough into 3 even pieces.  roll the dough between your hands to make 3 long ropes of dough, then braid the 3 ropes together.  place the braided bread on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes).

preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.  gently brush the top of the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle additional fresh rosemary and sea salt over the top.  bake for 25 minutes until the top is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

 enjoy!

love, laurie

chocolate chip banana bread

we had a few overly ripe bananas hanging out on our kitchen counter recently, so we decided to make a loaf of banana bread in order to use them up.

banana bread is a treat that can't be beat, and the addition of chocolate chips to the batter made it even better!

super easy and really simple to whip up, this recipe is a classic.  you could always swap out the chocolate chips for walnuts instead, or you could just add some walnuts in there too along with the chocolate chips.  now that sounds good!

chocolate chip banana bread
prep time: 10 minutes
baking time: 60 minutes
yields: 1 loaf
adapted from the daily muse

ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

directions:
preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  in the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and the sugars until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).  add the egg and beat well to incorporate.  mix in the vanilla and the mashed bananas.  in a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.  add half of the sifted flour mixture to the batter and mix just until incorporated.  add the remaining flour and beat well.  stir in the lemon juice.  fold in the chocolate chips.

pour the batter into a loaf pan that is greased and floured or lined with parchment paper.  bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 45 minutes, until the bread is golden brown on top.  once baked allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the bread from the pan and transferring it to a wire rack to finish cooling.

enjoy!

love, laurie