A while ago, my family had a discussion about our favorite family meals. Specifically, my mom wanted to know which meals we remembered most fondly that she used to cook. We pondered the question and my brother spoke up first. He looked oddly confused for a moment and then responded, “none.” We all burst out laughing, mom included. Poor mom. The truth is, she is not a master chef. She's too humble to mention it, but she does have several fantastic recipes up her sleeve that I still remember and look forward to eating. This is just one of them that my brother must have forgotten.
This banana bread is moist and rich and speckled with bursts of warm chocolate. I've added some orange zest for a bit of freshness. It can be served for breakfast or dessert. Thank you, mom, for a memorable and humble family recipe.
1/4 C. butter
3/4 C. sugar
2 eggs
½ t. vanilla
Zest of ½ an orange
2 C. baking mix
1 1/2 C. mashed ripe bananas (about 4 bananas)
8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 375. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla and zest and beat until thoroughly combined. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well blended. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake about 30-35 minutes until the top is browned and a toothpick entered into the center of the bread comes out clean. My favorite way to eat it is sliced and broiled with butter on top.
