Sunday, October 27, 2013

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

I was tired of making regular old banana bread with my overripe bananas so I decided to try something new. Peanut butter and banana go together famously, and chocolate chips make everything better, so this recipe was an easy selection. While the baked bread has a strong peanut butter aroma, the peanut butter flavor is actually fairly subtle but contributes to a dense, moist loaf. I took this bread to the office and my co-workers devoured it and showered me with compliments.
PEANUT BUTTER BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP BREAD
Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 medium bananas, mashed
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x4-inch loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the banana, peanut butter, sugars, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and fold together with a rubber spatula until completely combined and there are no spots with raw flour. Gently stir in the chocolate chips.

5. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top into an even layer. Bake until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick or thin knife inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. If your bread appears to be browning too quickly, place a tented piece of foil over it (I did this at the 45-minute mark).

6. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. The cooled bread should be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap; it can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.