Chocolate Chip-Banana Bread

• 1-3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts, optional
• 3 overripe bananas, mashed
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

PREHEAT

Place an oven rack in the lower one third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325° (350° if the pan does not have a dark finish). Grease and flour a 1-1/2 pound loaf pan.

MIX

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in the walnuts and mini chocolate chips. In another bowl mix together the mashed bananas, eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and the vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Pour batter into loaf pan.

BAKE

Bake for 70-80 minutes or until a knife or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove pan from oven to a cooling rack. Cool upright in the pan for 15 minutes before removing. Turn quick breads upright onto rack to cool completely before serving.

This recipe is adapted (slightly) from a recipe published by Williams-Sonoma. The only modifications I have made are:

1. They use bleached all-purpose flour.
2. They use only 2 bananas.
3. They don't consider walnuts optional.
4. They suggest using four 3 x 5-1/2 inch mini-loaf pans. This would reduce cooking time to 33-38 minutes.

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