A Banana Bread That�s Okay to Make Early

Banana bread is one of those things people rarely make on purpose. Even though you know you�re not going to eat seven bananas in a week, you buy the big bunch anyway, because, �it�s kind of green.� Now, those last three bananas are almost black and you�re feeling like a bad person.

Then you remember banana bread, and long story short, you realize you�re not a bad person�in fact, you kind of rock. While that�s the most common scenario, this scrumptious banana walnut loaf, spiked with dark chocolate chips, is so good you�ll want to make it well before the bananas get to that condition. Yes, it does come out better with extra ripe bananas, but if you can�t wait (like I couldn�t), you�re still in for a treat.

The chocolate chips are sparse here, but make a big difference in the overall flavor. This is a case where more wouldn�t necessarily make it better. This should be more of a snack, not a super-sweet dessert. When Michele makes this, she actually grates unsweetened baking chocolate instead, and it�s amazingly like that also. And, don�t even get me started on how good this is toasted.

The recipe is adapted from one by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, from their cookbook, City Cuisine. It�s one of the oldest cookbooks we have, and has tons of great recipes, so check the link if you�re interested. Enjoy!

Banana Bread Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup soft butter

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp milk
1 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

*Bake in a 9x4 loaf pan at 325 degrees F. for about 1 hour 10 minutes.