If I've noticed two consistent issues with grocery shopping, it's this: avocados and bananas are never, and I mean never, at the peak of perfect ripeness when you need them. I've bought more bananas and avocados than I care to admit with a youthful firmness that languish on my counter, looking forlorn and forgotten, until they give up the ghost and turn to mush. There's a lack of good uses for avocados past their peak but old mushy bananas make a mean loaf of bread. Sweet, moist banana bread with chocolate chips is about as good as it gets for produce past it's prime. Now if I figure out what to do with those mushy fibrous avocados, I'll be all set.
Banana & Chocolate Chip Bread
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup raw sugar, plus 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top of bread
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
3 bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Cooking spray (for the pan)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the mashed bananas, sugar, eggs, yogurt, vanilla and melted butter in a bowl and beat with a mixer, on medium speed, until thoroughly combined. Add the flour, salt and baking soda to the banana mixture and mix on low-speed until combined. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray, place the bread dough into the pan, sprinkle with the 1/4 cup of sugar and place in the oven for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack, remove from pan and cool completely on the wire rack.
