I've never had much luck with banana bread. No matter the recipe I'd try, it had this bizarre tendency to burn on the bottom before the middle was anywhere near cooked through.
It isn't that I'm a bad baker. I have my moments, but generally speaking, I'm fairly decent. This banana bread issue was beginning to make me wonder if I ought to just hang up the apron. I mean... banana bread? Who has problems baking banana bread? Souffle? Of course that's difficult. Very understandable to have problems with souffle. A trained chef will occasionally have issues with a souffle. Creme Brulee? Yeah, you need a fire tool for that. Completely frightening. But banana bread?? Something referred to as a 'quick' bread?
Please.
Anyway, in a tinkering mood one day, I decided to try my luck again. Well- and I had a whole bunch of just south of the sell-by bananas drawing fruit flies. So, that was another reason. And- I think this is the one, folks. Although this recipe is huge, and makes a very large sheet-cake size thing, you can halve it to make one large loaf, or several cupcakes.
Here's the goods~
pre-heat oven to 350º and grease your baking pan with oil or butter. Butter is better.
8 bananas, mashed
2 Cups granulated sugar
3/4 C melted butter
1 Cup cocoa powder
4 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
4 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Cup chopped walnuts- or more if you like. Or less. We all know someone who hates nuts.
2 Cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Whip together all those wet ingredients at the top, and in a separate bowl, wisk together the salt, soda and flour. Add slowly to wet ingredients, and then add your walnuts and chocolate chips. Scoop into your baking dish and shove that sucker in the oven for a good 30 minutes. After that time turn the temp down to 325º and keep a close eye on it. Check again in 10 minutes and stab it with a toothpick or thin knife to gauge your progress. Keep in mind that if you've halved this recipe, baking time will change and probably lessen.
Although.. I have this one bread pan that makes everything take forEVER to bake. So, you've got to know your equipment and be willing to keep an eye on it if necessary.
This would be marvelous with a dallop of whipped cream on top. The real stuff. Not that synthetic 'cool whip' stuff that comes ready made in a plastic pail. Unless you're just that lazy. Which I can completely understand.
Happy Baking!
