There are many perfect food marriages that exist.
Chocolate chip cookies and milk.
Apple pie and vanilla ice cream.
Hot cocoa and marshmallows.
Pancakes and maple syrup.
The list goes on and on. Is it just me or does peanut butter go with everything?
It really, really does. I’m starting to wonder if people are as addicted to it as I am. It always sounds good.
Peanut butter and jelly sammiches.
Peanut butter crackers.
Peanut butter and honey.
One of my favorite peanut butter marriages is peanut butter, banana and chocolate. Try it if you haven’t already.
I first had this combination, a few years ago, in a frozen coffee drink: espresso blended with chocolate, peanut butter, banana, milk and ice. Best. Drink. Ever. After class I’d stop at the coffee house every day to have one. It’s a good drink to sip on while you pretend to read a book but are secretly people-watching. Such as the homeless woman that used to sit on the couch and sleep while holding a tiny bag of Doritos she bought. Or the hunched-over old man who spent ten minutes hogging the cream and sugar for his coffee, getting it just to his liking.
Try this peanut butter-chocolate chip banana bread recipe and I guarantee you’ll never use your old banana bread recipe again. This bread isn’t dense and soggy like most banana bread recipes, and it’s more flavorful with the addition of peanut butter and chocolate chips, and a sprinkling of raw sugar on top.
Look at those big chocolate chips! Those are Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips. How can I go back to normal-sized chocolate chips again?
Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 medium ripe mashed bananas
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided use
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 teaspoons turbinado sugar, optional
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray or butter.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together banana, peanut butter, 2 tablespoons butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes; beat in eggs and vanilla extract until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in milk and flour mixture until just combined; stir in chocolate chips
Pour batter into prepared pan; bake for 50 minutes. Remove pan from oven, melt additional tablespoon butter, brush evenly over the top, and top with turbinado sugar. Continue to bake an additional 5 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool for 20 minutes before running a knife around outside edges, removing, and transferring to a wire rack to cool an additional 30 minutes before slicing.
Makes 6 servings