By Hannah Chimal
Recently, I saw a video of banana bread on social media with loads of chocolate and nuts. The bread looked delicious and it motivated me to bake some of my own. It was my first time baking this treat and it didn’t take long to prepare either, maybe around 15 minutes. The recipe I used was from Cafe Delites, which is the same one I followed for the churros. It was straightforward to understand and the website offered a few tips as well. The main thing that the recipe emphasized was to use ripe bananas that have a few spots since it’ll bring out the banana flavor more. Using whole ripe bananas would affect the texture of the batter by making it more liquid. They additionally mentioned that an effective method to smash the bananas would be with a fork.
When I took the pan out of the oven, the bread had a nice medium shade of brown while all of the chocolate chips looked gooey. It was easy to take the bread out since I lined the pan with parchment paper that I could pull from the sides. The banana bread had a strong banana flavor that you could even begin to smell in the air while it was baking. The top layer had a more crunchy and sturdy texture while the inside was soft. It was a nice combination since the inside wasn’t too dry but it wasn’t too moist either. Out of everything, I loved the chocolate. I specifically chose dark chocolate chips since those are my favorite. They paired well with the banana flavor, although I think it can get a little too much for some after taking multiple bites. The bread has lots of portions, so it would be good for a gathering! If there are any extra pieces of bread left, make sure to store them properly since they can turn stale. Here’s the link for those who would like to try this recipe, along with the specific directions and measurements below: https://cafedelites.com/banana-bread/
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups (8oz | 235g) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (5oz | 150 g) granulated white sugar
1/4 cup (2oz | 50g) brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 medium ripe bananas (about 1 pound or 500g)
2 large eggs lightly beaten
1/2 cup (4oz | 115 grams) unsalted butter melted and cooled (or cooking oil)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup (6 oz | 175 g) chocolate chips (or roughly chopped nuts of your choice)
Steps
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan and line it with parchment (baking) paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugars, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a separate medium-sized bowl mash the bananas really well. Then add the eggs, cooled melted butter (or oil), and vanilla.
Using a wooden spoon or spatula lightly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Gently fold in half of the chocolate chips (or nuts if using). The batter should be thick and lumpy. (Do not over mix!)
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and top with remaining chocolate chips or nuts. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
After about half an hour, turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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