TWD: Banana Chocolate Loaf

Jump to Comments

 

As a grade schooler I had a friend whose house I loved to visit.  Not only did she not have a little sister, she had a great victorian dollhouse (which as these things go, she never wanted to play with as much as I did, or perhaps I just never could say how much I wanted to play with it).  In addition to these perks when coming for a playdate, each time we walked into the house after school (so it seems to me now), there was a loaf of banana bread waiting for us to snack on.  My mom baked a lot (late at night after my sis and I were in bed), but her main vice was chocolate chip cookies, so this banana bread was a treat for me (we didn’t get many of those cookies anyway, but rather ususally just saw the evidence in the morning).  

When I read that this weeks Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was a banana bread I was leary.  I love a basic banana bread, and even have a favorite banana muffin recipe, but chocolate banana bread has never appealed to me particularly.  But one of the reasons I thought doing this baking group would be fun, was trying recipes I would normally skip over.  And so the baking began!

 

Why do my bananas look that way? Frozen reserves.

Fresh Nutmeg! One of my small delights!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After pulling my frozen bananas from the freezer to defrost (This, by the way, is one of my great discoveries as an adult! That I could actually freeze my ripe (or overripe) bananas in the skin and all and use later has greatly enhanced my happiness with ripening bananas on my counter.  I especially love using the frozen bananas in fruit smoothies as it eliminates the need for ice.) I got busy on this recipe.  A little nutmeg grating, chocolate melting, and soon it was ready for the pan.  This “loaf” is actaully a marble banana cake and I did, as usual, find the marbalizing part a bit of a chore.  I am not convinced that a marble cake’s flavor makes up for the extra minutes spent mixing up the chocolate batter and carefully alternating batter and then swirling.  But I’m a simple girl and like to move as quickly and effienciently as I can in the kitchen most days.

However, I have to say, the cake is pretty good.  I am not converted (or convinced the marbling was worth it!) though, and while my kids and I are munching our way through this loaf, next time I’ll probably fall back on my original banana bread or my favorite fancy one from Cooking Light magazine years ago: Jamaican Banana Bread.

The recipe for the Black & White Banana Loaf is posted at A Year In The Kitchen.

14 Comments

Filed under Food, Tuesdays with Dorie, baking, favorite things, recipes