Recipe: Banana Chocolate Breads

BANANA CHOCOLATE BREADS

"It's fun to help a recipe evolve. This one started out as a chocolate banana muffin, but then I decided that it would be fabulous as little loaves. If you can't find mini-loaf pans, don't worry. You can bake the batter in an ordinary muffin pan. See how things evolve?"

7 ounces (210 g) semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, divided
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) salt
1 cup (250 mL) mashed ripe bananas
3/4 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) vegetable oil
1/3 cup (75 mL) sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla
1 cup (250 mL) walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180C). Grease 1 mini loaf pan or a 12-cup muffin tin.

In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave 3 ounces (90g) chocolate on Medium (50%) for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, or until chocolate is shiny and almost melted. Stir until smooth. Let cool slightly.

In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, oil, sour cream, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Mix in melted chocolate.

Stir flour mixture into banana mixture just until combined. Stir in walnuts and remaining chocolate. Scoop batter into prepared pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer to rack and let cool completely.

TIPS:
You should be able to find mini-loaf pans at a well-stocked grocery or home store. If you can't bake 12 mini loaves at a time, bake the extra batter in a muffin tin or refrigerate the remaining batter and bake once the mini loaf pan is cooled. Be sure to grease the cooled pan before adding the second batch of batter.

These cakes freeze very well. Store them in resealable plastic freezer bags for up to 1 month.

Makes 12 mini loaves (see tips, above)
Source: 125 Best Chocolate Recipes by Julie Hasson