Chocolate Banana Bread

Here's a relatively simple recipe for chocolate bread - make some on the weekend, and eat it (as a yummy alternative to bread) throughout the week! This tastes much better than regular banana bread, trust me - it's awesome that you can add chocolate to so many things. (note: the picture below is for an alternative recipe that works with pecans and walnuts)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
4 bars (1.5 ounces each) dark chocolate (bittersweet works best; semisweet also) finely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bottom and sides of 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.
   
2. In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and cocoa powder.
   
3. Beat butter and sugar in mixing bowl 2 minutes or until light, using electric mixer at medium-high speed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add bananas and vanilla extract at low speed, mixing until combined.
   
4. Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream. Add chocolate and blend just for a few seconds. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of bread comes out clean. Cool in pan set on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on rack.

And there you have it! This is a simple bread recipe, and it's much less fatty than other chocolate indulgences :)

The Chocolate Chronicles
photocredit: delishfood.wordpress.com