Walnut-Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
No one can resist a thick slice of freshly baked banana bread, especially when it’s studded with melting chocolate chips and toasty walnuts. Baking this bread is a good way to take advantage of fruit that has been languishing on the counter throughout the busy week. The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more delicious the bread will be.
Ingredients:
- 3 very ripe bananas, peeled
- 2 cups (10 oz./315 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1⁄4 tsp. fine sea salt
- 6 Tbs. (3 oz./90 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3⁄4 cup (6 oz./185 g) sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1⁄2 cup (4 oz./125 g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 cup (6 oz./185 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup (4 oz./125 g) coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly butter a 9-by-5-inch (23-by-13-cm) loaf pan. Line the bottom and long sides of the pan with parchment paper. Butter the top of the parchment. Dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.
Using a fork, mash the bananas in a bowl; you should have about 1 cup (8 oz./250 g). In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
In a third bowl, using a handheld mixer on high speed, beat together the butter and sugar until light in color and texture, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in the eggs and then the mashed bananas. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with the sour cream in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed, beating until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips and half of the walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts on top.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn out onto the rack and remove the paper. Invert again and let cool completely. Cut into slices and serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 1 loaf.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Breakfast Comforts, by Rick Rodgers (Weldon Owen, 2010)