Banana lovers rejoice! Here is a feast of mouth-watering recipes for your favorite fruit, from breakfast to main dishes to desserts: Crisp-fried plantain chips dipped in fiery pepper sauce. Sea bass fillets grilled in aromatic banana leaves. Caramelized banana cream pie. Healthful smoothies, hearty vegetarian meals, cool banana cocktails, and, yes, the ultimate banana bread, studded with chunks of dark chocolate.
I made dozens of loaves of this rum-spiked, chocolate-studded banana bread one year for holiday presents, and they were a tremendous hit. For elegant gift-giving, place each one in a clear cellophane bag and tie with a pretty silver ribbon.
Makes: one 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf, or 15 muffins
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 1/2 bananas)
1/3 cup strong coffee, cold
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks or large chips
2 to 3 tablespoons dark or spiced rum
Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom of a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan, line it with wax paper, and grease and flour the bottom and sides.
Beat the sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until light. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Combine the banana, coffee, and vanilla. With the mixer on the lowest setting, add the dry ingredients alternately with the banana mixture in three parts until just incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake 55 minutes to 1 hour (25 to 30 minutes for muffins), or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Remove the wax paper and drizzle tile bottom with a little nun. Turn it right side up and drizzle the top with rum; cool completely. Before slicing, sprinkle the top of the loaf with confectioners' sugar.
