May 10, 2012

Banana Nut Bread ~ A Classic

Please tell me you
have some yummy ripe,
speckled bananas sitting
on your counter to use...
'cuz I have just the
recipe for you!

It's a Classic.

Growing up,
my Mom would whip up a loaf
or two of this
fabulous banana bread ~
Complete with chocolate chips.

Everything goes better
with chocolate, don't you think?
We certainly thought so ~
It was our motto. :)


Classic Banana Nut Bread
(With Chocolate Chips)

~ Originally written out
from a recipe that my Mom had
written out...long, long ago!
(Tweaked a little, of course) ~

1/3 cup Butter, softened

1/2 cup Sugar
(I use organic and I use less...
perhaps 1/3 cup)

2 Eggs

1 3/4 cups Flour
(I use 1 cup Unbleached All Purpose,
and 3/4 cup Whole Wheat ~ Organic)

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1 cup mashed Bananas

1/2 cup Pecans, chopped

1 cup Chocolate Chips
(If you use Milk Chocolate,
reduce sugar by half)

Cream together butter and sugar.
Add eggs and beat well.
Stir together dry ingredients
with a wire wisk in a medium sized bowl.
Set aside.
Mash bananas, measure,
and set aside.

Add about 1/3 dry ingredients
to mixer and blend.
Add about 1/3 of banana
to mixer and blend.
Continue adding dry and wet
ingredients alternately to mixer
until all used up.

Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.

Scrape into a parchment paper
lined (or well greased) loaf pan.
(Mine is 9 1/2" x 5" x 3")

Bake at 350 degrees F
for about 50 minutes until done.
(It sometimes takes nearly an hour) ~
Test with a toothpick in the centre
of the crack ~ It should come out
relatively clean...not gooey. :)


About that cracked top ~
Apparently it's supposed to be there.
It means you've got banana bread success!
Who knew?

Once it's out of the oven,
Turn out onto a cooling rack.

Cool completely
(if you can wait that long)
before slicing.
It is especially nice warm,
but really, loaves like this are
best left until completely cool
and even until the next day
to fully ripen.

Just be sure to cover
when cool to keep it from drying out.
This loaf freezes well.

While you are at it,
you might want to make two ~
One for now, and one for later.

Enjoy!
Blessings,
Camille

10 comments:

Lady Farmer said...

I *love* family recipes! Especially ones with chocolate in them! ;~P
Your banana bread looks divine, Camille! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

Heather said...

Mmmmm... always fantastic recipes here, Camille!

Junior said...

oh that looks yummy, I think we will have to give the recipe a try. I wonder if it would work to use amaranth flour in place of part of the wheat flour(my little guy can't have too much reg flour). God bless

Becky said...

Banana bread is always a good idea!

I will have to try your recipe, my friend! :)

Maryann said...

I love banana bread but have never tried it with chocolate chips...but like you said what doesn't go good with chocolate chips. I always have bananas on hand, when they start to go bad I throw in the freezer...when it's time to make banana bread just thaw and viola. Thanks for this recipe...I will try next week

Camille said...

Dear Raeann ~ Chocolate makes everything yummy! :)

Dear Heather ~ I keep on thinking about those muffins...so sorry about the mix up! Remember them from the early days of our friendship? :)

Dear Junior ~ Oh I hope it works out for you! I don't have the answer for your question, but I think Google might. :)

Dear Becky ~ I hope your family approves. And I agree...it's always a good idea (especially with chocolate). :)

Dear Maryann ~ Never with chocolate? Oh, you must give it a try...I'm sure you will agree that it's the only way to fly! :)

Blessings to you each one!
In HIS Love,
Camille

American Home said...

Nothing smells better than Banana bread cooking in the kitchen. Thank you for sharing this special recipe!!

Have a wonderful day!

Camille said...

Dear Donna ~ It is a cozy thing to come into a home where the smells of baking are coming from the kitchen...I agree! :)

Blessings to you!
Camille

Cinnamon said...

I do have some ripe bananas. In fact they are over ripe and I had to move them out onto my porch. I'm hoping I can bake some banana bread tomorrow. We make ours GF a DF so Rosie dear can enjoy it as well. She loves it!

Of course I'm sure she'd love those chocolate chips too. They just wouldn't like her to much:-/

~Cinnamon

Camille said...

Dear Cinnamon ~ Your banana bread is just as delicious, I am sure! I am sorry your little peanut cannot have chocolate! But, I am sure you compensate in other ways. :)

Love to you!
Camille