I love winter. It can be snowy and cozy, full of blankets and fuzzy socks and hot chocolate by the fireplace. But it can also be long, cold and rainy. So sometimes, in the darkest, most frigid depths of this season, the only way to brighten my day is by baking—and eating—comforting baked goods, preferably those containing chocolate.
On cold, slushy winter days, I often find myself craving the most comforting baked good I can think of: chocolate chip banana bread. Baking this sweet, hearty bread is an ideal way to use up overripe bananas, not to mention warm up the kitchen and fill the entire house with heavenly, mouthwatering scents. When I think of this cheerful, yummy treat, I think of home, where all my baking adventures began, with my mom by my side.
After years of searching and recipe testing, my mom and I finally found the ultimate banana bread recipe in the cookbook of the Hummingbird Bakery.
Hummingbird is an incredible American-style bakery based in London. Their dynamite banana loaf is packed with warm spices, caramel-y brown sugar and, of course, rich banana flavor. With an added heap of dark chocolate chips, it’s pretty much the best chocolate chip banana bread ever.
The Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Banana Bread*
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 330°.
Beat the sugar and eggs in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) until well incorporated.
Beat in the mashed bananas.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger to the sugar mixture. Mix thoroughly until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated.
Add the melted butter and beat until all ingredients are well-mixed.
Using a wooden spoon, stir in the chocolate chips until evenly dispersed.
Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin(s) and smooth over with a knife. For a large loaf, bake for about 1 hour. For the smaller loaves, bake for about 40 minutes. In any case, the bread is done when it is firm to the touch, and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Try it for breakfast (with a dollop of creamy peanut butter for extra bliss-factor), as a snack with tea or hot chocolate or as a decadent dessert. I promise that it will perk you up on even the longest, gloomiest days. And, hopefully, it will make you think of home, too.