Cocoa-Nana Bread

Here is another recipe from Dorie’s Baking From My Home to Yours book.  It is a very chocolaty bread (almost cake like, but a little more dense) with a nice banana flavor.  I topped it with some Cool Whip, but also ate it by itself, which was also tasty.

Cocoa-Nana Bread

(Recipe from:  Dorie Greenspan)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 stick unsalted butter, room temp

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 ripe bananas, mashed

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped or 1/2 cup choc chips

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9×5 (I used my new silicon bundt pan!) and place it on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked one on top of the other.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

Working with a stand mixer.  Preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed for about a minute, until softened.  Add the sugars and beat for 2 minutes more.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute after each addition.  At this point, the batter may look a little curdled — it’s okay.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the mashed bananas.  Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until they disappear in to the batter.  Still on low speed, add the buttermilk, mixing until it is incorporated.  Stir in the chopped chocolate.  Scrape the batter into the pan.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Cover loosely with foil and continue to bake another 40-45 minutes or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  Transfer the pan to a rack and cool at least 20 minutes before unmolding it.  Cool at room temp right side up.

Here are some random pictures using the new camera.  I’m looking forward to getting some snow again and hopefully catching some cool pictures outside.