BANANAS

For my old university roommates, my pumpkin bread is legendary (like 14 frozen loaves at one time filling up our freezer). I wouldn't be surprised if the smell of baking pumpkin haunts our old house. I really love dessert bread -mostly just pumpkin bread.

BUT I also like banana bread. But I only just like it. Banana bread is what I make when I accidentally have too many bananas and having a gallon sized ziploc of frozen bananas pieces seems a bit extreme (especially since Husband doesn't like them in his smoothies EVER). So banana bread is my last resort for bananas -a fruit I rarely choose to buy. 

When we do Bountiful Baskets I always get approximately 6 thousand bananas. Sigh. The last few weeks I've been putting them in my cereal. But yesterday a bit of dust from the genius fairy dropped on my head. Imagine: I'm nursing on the couch and feeling soooooo hungry, so I'm snacking on a few chocolate chips and hazelnut pieces. When I turn my head and look at those forlorn bananas (8 of them, folks). That's when the dust falls. Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Banana Bread. 

Oh yes. Now, wait, I'm not a big fan of chocolate chips (except the ones I happened to be eating in this scenario which were Ghirardelli). I would prefer they stayed out of my cookies and they are never invited into my pumpkin bread. But I do love them with hazelnuts, and I have too. many. bananas. So I went for it. 

You're welcome world. Even Husband ate some and he's no fan of bananas OR "cakey" things. 

Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Banana Bread

butter, for greasing pan

1 + 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil (I used half walnut oil and half olive oil, since I was lacking canola)

4 bananas

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips (Ghirardelli milk chocolate)

3/4 cup hazelnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper and grease the entire thing with butter.

In a small bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a separate large bowl beat sugar and eggs on low speed until fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Continue beating on low speed and drizzle in oil. Beat bananas (by adding them in smallish pieces), sour cream, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture on low speed, then the chocolate chips and most of the nuts, saving a handful for the top.

Pour into loaf pan, sprinkle nuts over top and bake at least 60 minutes, but it usually takes my oven 70-75 minutes, toothpick should come out clean from center.

It's best hot, but so good cold with some tea for breakfast. Because it is still technically a bread, right?

Bonus:

Photo of V

This banana bread is as delicious as my cheeks.