This moist, chocolate-studded banana bread is slowly becoming a staple at my house. My aunt passed along the recipe a few weeks ago, and three loaves have come and gone in my kitchen since then. The key: Ghirardelli chocolate. I'm a sucker for the milk chocolate, but the dark is equally good. Also, take the time to separate the ingredients as the recipe instructs. I've tried it both ways, and it makes all the difference.
Jeanette's Chocolate Chip-Banana Bread
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (3 large ripe bananas)
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick), softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 9" by 5" metal loaf pan. In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In small bowl, stir together bananas, milk, and vanilla until blended.
In a large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, scraping bowl occasionally.
Add chocolate chips. Stir a few times.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake 1 hour 10 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of bread comes out clean. Cool loaf in pan on wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Makes 1 loaf, 16 slices.
Jeanette's Chocolate Chip-Banana Bread
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (3 large ripe bananas)
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick), softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 9" by 5" metal loaf pan. In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In small bowl, stir together bananas, milk, and vanilla until blended.
In a large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, scraping bowl occasionally.
Add chocolate chips. Stir a few times.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake 1 hour 10 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of bread comes out clean. Cool loaf in pan on wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Makes 1 loaf, 16 slices.