Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread

I had planned on sharing with you today an authentic Oaxacan chocolate mole sauce I came across, but it didn't turn out. Well I shouldn't say that. It did turn out, beautifully, the sauce was a dark reddish brown and the smell was deep and aromatic, but I didn't like how it tasted. I thought I would, but it was pretty intense for my liking, and I don't really want to share a recipe just because it's pretty, it has to taste good too. I followed the recipe exactly, so I am a little curious to know of people who do like it, or if it takes an acquired taste.

So instead I turned my gaze to the blackening bananas on my kitchen counter and a tried and trust recipe for my grandmas banana bread, and mixed things up a little with the addition of chocolate, to keep with the weeks theme.

Like the chocolate chip cookie, I think everyone has a favorite banana bread recipe and there seems to be countless ways of making it too.

Growing up, my grandma always had a loaf of banana or zucchini bread coming out of the oven just before we arrived. My cousins and I seemed to gobble it up within minutes before heading out to play. Here, I used her original recipe, but added some chocolate to the mix, something I know she would approve of.

The recipe is pretty traditional and straight forward. I'm not sure where she got it from, but I'm sure it's similar to many. She has an optional addition of walnuts, but the way I always remember it was without when we were young. With or without chocolate and or nuts, this bread is delicious.

Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread

makes 1 loaf

1 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup banana, mashed

3 tablespoons dark chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter and flour a 9-inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together, then mix in the sour cream. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the mashed bananas, vanilla, and the chopped chocolate; stir to combine.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and mix just until combined. Divide the batter in half; add in the cocoa powder and mix until combine, be careful not to over mix.

Alternate adding the plain batter and chocolate batter into the loaf pan. Run a knife through the layers to create a swirl pattern.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.