Go Bananas!

Bananas, you've got them in your kitchen either in your fruit bowl or on a banana hook and half the time you don't end up eating them so where do they go?, in the garbage.  Instead of putting those bananas in the garbage, yea I know they're probably black and nasty and maybe attracting some friends, but instead, put them in a freezer bag and put those suckers in the freezer.  Why would I do that? Well, for smoothies or for bread.  Yep, the classic banana bread.  Great for breakfast on-the-go or a snack with peanut butter spread on top for extra protein or just plain toasted with a slather of butter.  Reading this, you're probably wondering when the last time you had banana bread was.  It's probably a food you had many times as a kid but it's a forgotten favorite in my book.  The great thing about banana bread is that you can add so many bonus flavors to it if the "banana" flavor isn't your favorite.
Today, I looked at the half-rotten bananas sitting on my counter, and now living in Florida, thought "Oh great, those will be attracting fruit-flies any day now."  So instead of throwing them away, which is what I would end up doing half the time and the other half of the time the poor things sit in my freezer for months on end,  I baked some banana bread.  But not any old fashion banana bread, a dressed-up version.

Chocolate Walnut Banana Bread

I took the recipe from America's Test Kitchen Baking Cookbook and tweaked it.  I didn't have any plain yogurt so instead I used a mix of heavy cream & sour cream.  And I replaced 1/4 cup of flour with cocoa powder.  Here is the recipe:

Equipment: 2 mixing bowls, pam for baking, loaf pan (I used my meatloaf pan, took the drip dish out), baking sheet, a whisk, a fork, and a spatula.

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas, peeled

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup good quality cocoa powder

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted & cooled

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup plain yogurt OR a mix of heavy cream + sour cream = 1/4 cup

1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Steps:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position & heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray your loaf pan with the Pam for Baking.

2. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until fragrant, 5 - 10 mins.  Set aside to cool.

3. In the first bowl whisk flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, salt and walnuts together in a bowl.

4. In the second bowl (a larger size), mash the bananas with a fork then add the eggs, yogurt or heavy/sour cream mix, vanilla extract, and butter. Carefully whisk together.

5. Fold in the dry ingredients to the banana mix until fully incorporated but still chunky, no flour clumps.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 mins. Use a chop-stick or wooden skewer the check doneness - if it comes out clean, it's done.
7. Rest on a baking sheet for about 10 mins, then using a hand towel or oven-mits dump out the loaf.  Let cool to room temp. or if you're too excited about how awesome this bread just made your kitchen and house smell, cut off the cut and dive right in.  Delicious!
* Hope you enjoy this new twist.  The chocolate flavor from the cocoa powder is not over powering and still lets the banana flavor come through.  You can always use different nuts or chocolate chips instead of cocoa powder.  Dried fruit also makes a compliment. *