Thursday Three: Recipes For Overripe Bananas

By Rachael

You know those bananas you bought last week? The ones you intended to slice and put on your cereal? Now they’re brown and squishy and breeding fruit flies, but you aren’t eager to make yet another boring loaf of plain banana bread. Here are three new recipes to try. Perhaps the best part is that they all include chocolate!

My daughter Megan helps test out these recipes

1.      Chocolate-Bottom Banana Squares

(Found at Tammy's Recipes)

·         ½ cup butter

·         1 cup sugar

·         1 egg

·         1 teaspoon vanilla

·         1 ½ cups mashed bananas (about 3 medium bananas)

·         1 ½ cups flour

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         1 teaspoon baking soda

·         ½ teaspoon salt

·         ¼ cup baking cocoa

·         1 cup chocolate chips

In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, and bananas, beating thoroughly.

                       

In a separate bowl, combine flour, soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture and mix well.

           

Divide batter in half. Add the cocoa to one portion of the batter. Spread that portion in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Spoon remaining batter on top and sprinkle with chocolate chips.

           

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and slice into squares.

2.      Chocolate Banana Bread

               (Found at Money Saving Mom, via Joy of Baking)

·         3/4 cups flour

·         ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

·         1 cup sugar

·         1 teaspoons baking powder

·         ¼ teaspoon baking soda

·         ¼ teaspoon salt

·         2 large eggs, lightly beaten

·         1 stick butter, melted and cooled

·         3 ripe bananas, mashed well

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Stir the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Carefully fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 65 minutes until the bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

(Note: I made this bread in one loaf pan, as the recipe recommends, but the top of my loaf was still a bit doughy even after baking for longer than the recipe instructs. It might be worth splitting the batter into two loaf pans to help with the baking process.)

3.      Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Found at AllRecipes.com)

·         2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

·         2 teaspoons baking powder

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies: Finished Product

·         1/4 teaspoon baking soda

·         1 cup white sugar

·         2/3 cup butter, softened

·         2 eggs

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         1 cup mashed bananas

·         2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda, and set aside.

Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the mashed bananas. Add the flour mixture, and stir until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.