Letters From My Kitchen: P is for Peanut Butter: Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips (Jessica)

Dear Readers,

Have you been searching for the perfect one? Just waiting for the right banana bread recipe to come waltzing through the door and change your life? Another year day-dreaming at home on Valentine's Day with a glass of wine? Well, now you can stop. No need for online recipe ~~dating~~ searching anymore. This is the one for you! Guaranteed to bring you flowers and take you for long walks on the beach!* A perfect combination of bananas and peanut butter (yes, peanut butter), plus a little chocolate, and you'll never go back.

So now, without further ado....here's your recipe!

*A recipe can't really do that, people, let's not get carried away here....

Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
makes 1 9x5 inch loaf
adapted slightly from Joy the Baker

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas

1/3 cup plain or vanilla fat free yogurt

1/3 cup creamy all-natural peanut butter

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 large eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 cup - 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, flaxseed meal, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon and ground allspice.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, yogurt, peanut butter and melted butter. Whisk in eggs and sugars. Blend mixture until no sugar lumps remain.

4. Pour the wet mixture into the larger bowl with the dry ingredients. Fold together with a spatula until no more flour bits remain. Fold in the chocolate chips as well. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and cake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before running a butter knife along the edges of the pan and inverting the bread onto a wire rack to cool completely.

This bread lasts, well wrapped at room temperature,for up to 4 days. It is also great to store, well wrapped, in the freezer.

Review:

This recipe rocks! It is a really good one. I wouldn't have ever thought to combine peanut butter and bananas, but it seriously works. The peanut butter isn't overpowering and the bread is very moist. The chocolate chips make it seriously awesome. I guess if you wanted this to be more of a breakfast bread, omit the chocolate chips...but give the recipe a try with them first! I was psyched that I only brought half of this bread to work because then I came home and ate the rest of it.

And I know it LOOKS like it has a lot of ingredients, but none of them are hard to get. Flaxseed meal was even at my local Vons supermarket! SO: no excuse, you must try this one!