Triple-chocolate banana bread
02.13.2012 
Have you ever tried to wrestle a couple of really energetic, curious (and cute!) monkeys while attempting to accomplish a task? This is my life. I am constantly trying to get things done while also wrestling two monkeys. Which is great! It has made me an excellent multi-tasker and it certainly keeps me on my toes. Plus I have found that certain tasks aren't hindered much by them. I can clean and cook and wrestle monkeys with ease. But activities that require concentration and thought do not mix well with the monkeys.
So here is my equation from the past 10 days: Lots o' Monkey Time + Cleaning/Organizing + Cooking/Baking = A Really Clean Home + Lots of Food to Eat + Tons of Photos on Camera + Very Limited Time on Computer. In other words, I'M BEHIND! I still have Super Bowl goodies that I haven't gotten off my camera. I'm hoping to get to them all this week!
I made this bread a few weeks ago and shared the cute teeny lil' loaves with my sister and her family. The consensus: KIDS LOVE THIS BREAD! My boys adored it and my niece did, as well. I love the triple-chocolatey-ness involved and also the addition of the bananas.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray four 5 3/4x3-inch loaf pans with cooking spray and set aside.
In a small bowl, mash 3 ripe bananas with a fork. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
With a hand-held mixer, beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
Add:
2 eggs
3 mashed bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix until incorporated. Slowly add the flour mixture until incorporated.
Add 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and stir with a wooden spoon until well-combined. Divide the batter evenly between the 4 loaf pans. Or use 2 pans and do 2 batches.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each loaf comes out clean. Cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from pans.
Meanwhile, make the glaze. In a small bowl, combine:
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
Microwave on high for 1 minute, followed by 30-second bursts until melted.
Add:
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
Stir until combined. Drizzle the glaze over the breads.
Back to the monkeys! I hope you enjoy the bread!
Reader Comments (5)
this looks heavenly. and dangerous...
You had me at triple chocolate! This recipe was definitely worth waiting for.... looks great!
My monkeys LOVE banana bread...perfect timing as we are making a batch tonight. We are going to give this recipe a whirl. Thanks
Just made this! Turned out great- kids helped and everyone loved it. :) Even better with a little vanilla ice cream on top...
We made this last night and it was delicious. My 10 year old did most of the work and has eaten 1 of the 4 loaves this morning (took some for snack and lunch) and ate some for breakfast. Thank you.