Banana Chocolate Chip Bread 2

Ah…. the aroma of baking banana bread. You know, if they made that scent into a perfume we would ALL be irresistible.

My oldest daughter ~~is addicted to~~ really likes banana bread but once, many years ago, when I added chocolate chips to it? Yeah. She adores it.

So it can be hard for me to come up with new ways of making chocolate chip banana bread. This time I decided to make the flavor a little more complex and added orange juice and orange zest. Wow! Sweet with a nice acidity from the orange and the rich, dark chocolate filling your mouth with pure-D-yum.

This bread stays really moist because it is cooked at a very low temperature for a longer time than you might be used to. No worries. The lower temperature keeps it from getting too brown. Banana breads have lots of sugar in them – the kind you add and the kind that is natural to the banana. When cooked at a higher temperature you run the risk of a crispy crust (which I don’t think belongs on banana bread) and the bread taking on a scorched flavor from getting too brown.

Bottom line? Make this when you have a couple of hours.

You can also make it in mini loaf pans to give as gifts. Allow it about 35-40 minutes to bake. Timing isn’t exact for any size so be sure to check it every 5 minutes or so at the end of the baking time. I like to give the mini loaves wrapped in plastic wrap with a ribbon on a vintage plate with some Earl Grey Creme tea.
because to me it is the perfect combination. :) The tea has a delicate citrus and vanilla flavor that is just awesome on a chilly, rainy afternoon. The citrus compliments the citrus in the banana bread… and… well I think I need to make another trip to Teavana!
Enjoy this yourself or give it as a gift. I think you’ll love it.

: Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

: sweet, rich banana bread with pecans and dark chocolate chips

Ingredients

1/2 cup oil (peanut, sunflower, walnut, other light oil)
1/2 cup browned unsalted butter
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 cups very ripe mashed banana
4 eggs
1 3/4 c white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons orange zest
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F
Grease 2 loaf pans
Melt the butter in a heavy pan until it is golden brown – let cool to lukewarm
Beat the oil, eggs, vanilla, orange juice, orange zest, both sugars and buttermilk until well blended.
Beat in the cooled butter and banana.
Mix the flour, baking soda and salt and stir into the banana mixture until well blended.
Add pecans and chocolate chips – blend well.
Spoon into two greased loaf pans and bake at 325f for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the center of a loaf comes out clean.
Cool in pans for 15 minutes then turn out and finish cooling.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes +/-

Number of servings (yield): 20

Culinary tradition: USA (Traditional)

Calories: 370

Fat: 17.6

Carbs: 49.5

Protein: 5.0

Love this? Please share!

3 Responses to Banana Chocolate Chip Bread 2

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Jenn

December 16, 2012 at 1:06 am

Made this bread tonight and it was amazing. I added peanut butter to the batter and used chocolate chunks. Hubby said it was the best thing I ever made. I have already added the recipe to my family favorites file. Thanks so much! J

- Marye Audet
  
  December 16, 2012 at 9:29 am
  
  Thanks? We love it…. I have used both PB and toffee chips…:)