Recipe: Maple Banana Bread

Maple Banana Bread
Source: Maple Moon: A Maple Syrup Cookbook by Johanna van der Zeijst Bates
Yields 2 loaves

1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups pure maple syrup
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 1/2 cups overripe, mashed bananas
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Dutch or Belgian chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 (9-by-5-inch) loaf pans.

In a large bowl, combine the butter and maple syrup. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well. Stir in the bananas. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix completely and add chocolate and nuts.

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool on a rack.