Banana Bread Deliciousness.

 

Mini Chocolate Swirled Banana Bread Loaves:

1)  In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, 3/4 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt.

2) Scold daughter for spilling flour on herself.

Honestly, Daisy Mae.

Honestly.

3)  In a completely different and unrelated bowl, cream 1 cup sugar and 1/4c softened butter.

4)  Realize you forgot to set out butter in preparation for the creation of these delightful loaves.

It happens.

5)  Decide you have one of two options:

A)  Wait until butter softens.

B)  Microwave butter at half power for like 8 seconds . . .

get nervous and check butter at 4 seconds . . .

decide butter will survive . . .

microwave for the remaining 4 seconds.

I went with the latter option.

You may do as you see fit.

6)  Mash about 3-4 medium bananas.

I highly recommend making your child do this for you.

7)  Add mashed bananas to the sugar/butter bowl, not the flour-y bowl.

8)  Add 2 eggs and 1/3c of lowfat plain yogurt or sour cream.

Truly, the choice is yours.

9)  Beat all that stuff, with the exception of the flour-y mixture, of course, until well-combined.

10)  Gradually add the flour-y mixture into the butter-y mixture.

Gradual is key.

Please be advised to follow that simple instruction, lest something like this happens:

Consider yourselves warned.

10)  Decide you had no business whatsoever in scolding your daughter for making a flour mess.

Clearly, she comes by it honestly.

11)  Mix together until just moistened.

Don't overmix!

Trust me!

I, myself, have overmixed.

The results are less than satisfactory.

I don't know, nor do I understand the science behind it, but clearly there is a reason you may not overmix.

100 (meaningless) points to anyone who can explain to me why.

12)  In a third, smaller, and completely different bowl, microwave 1/2c of chocolate chips.

Don't forget to sneak a few chocolate chips to eat right now.

13)  Microwave for about 1 minute and stir until smooth.  Let cool a bit.

14)  Add 1cup of batter to the melted chocolate.  Stir.

Now, here is where things get fun!

Please.

Try and contain your excitement.

15)  Alternatively spoon plain batter in . . .

Then add some chocolate batter . . .

And top it off with plain batter.

16)  Take a knife, and swirl batter to create a marbled look.

Like so:

Now, how 'bout them apples?

Everything I learned about swirling batters, I learned from my brief stint working in the hospital kitchen.

Me, along with my hairnet, were great swirlers back in the day.

Oh!

Did you not know I used to regularly wear hairnets?

Well, I did.

And, I ain't gonna lie . . . I rocked 'em.

17)  Bake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes.

18)  Clean up!

19)  Catch daughter hiding in laundry room with chocolate chips bowl.

Speaking of aforementioned daughter, look at this face she is making:

Her facial expression reminds me of someone . . .

Name that former female Office character.

I know you can do it.

Don't let me down.

21)  Pull loaves out of oven when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Or, when they are just about to burn because you are terrible at time management and had to leave them baking in the oven *gasp!* while you drove to pick up another child from school.

Aren't they cute, albeit slightly over-baked, little loaves of banana goodness?

You may ask,

"But, Taylor, do they taste good?"

 

Why, yes, in fact, they do!

So, anyways, if you don't have a fancy mini-loaf pan, I would recommend one. 

You can use any sort of banana bread recipe, or other type of quick bread in it and you can have these cute little loaves.

They make great little gifts.

They are also great for packing lunches and freeze well, too.

Here is the recipe in a much shorter, and more reasonable format:

Chocolate Swirled Banana Bread

2 c. flour

¾ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 c. sugar

¼ c. butter, softened

1 ½ c. mashed ripe bananas (about 3-4 medium bananas)

2 eggs

1/3 c. plain lowfat yogurt or sour cream

½ c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cups and level. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Cream sugar and butter. Add bananas, eggs, and yogurt, beating until just blended. Add flour mixture. Beat on low until just moistened. Microwave chocolate chips in a medium bowl for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 c. batter to chocolate, stirring until well-combined. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter (so you have stripes of plain and chocolate batter) in an 8 ½” x 4 ½” *loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters with a knife.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes (give or take a little; I'd probably set your timer for 1 hour and 10 minutes to be safe) or until a knife comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan and then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

*Or pour into mini-loaf pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until done.

***

Random Topic Quick Change!

Many of you know of my trials with Handsome Dude and his glasses.

You may ask,

"Why, pray tell, must Handsome Dude wear glasses?"

Well, dear readers:

That is why Handsome Dude needs glasses.

Have a lovely day!