Chocolate Chip Banana Rum Bread

This is my most favourite bread made out of a fruit that I would not touch otherwise. So all you banana haters, just pause a while, go through the recipe and make it once at least.

I had come across numerous recipes of banana bread in my days before being a food blogger. Everybody with a passion for baking absolutely had this in their archives. I was a bit skeptical about it initially...banana in bread? Yuck! But gauging its popularity across the food blogging community, I decided to at least give it a shot. And that's a decision I'd never regret.

This bread tastes like cake, it's so soft it melts in your mouth, the banana flavour is super subtle, the rum gives a kick that is neither too strong nor too mild and the chocolate chips provide the burst of sweetness in your mouth. It's an experience well worth cherishing.

Jazz it up with mixed nuts...almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans... anything in the batter, mix some raisins, or add some cocoa powder to make it a chocolate banana bread or substitute the rum with vanilla essence for a kid-friendly version. Any variation will taste pretty darn good. Take it from me.

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

Bananas, very ripe: 2 large or 3 medium
Butter, softened at room temperature: 100 gm
Olive oil: 50 ml
Egg: 1
Brown Sugar: 150 gm
Flour: 200 gm
Baking powder: 2 tsp
Buttermilk: 100 ml (if you don't have buttermilk, just squeeze the juice of 1 lime into 100 ml milk and allow it to rest for 3-4 minutes)
Dark Rum: 2 tbsp
Dark Chocolate chips: 100 gm

Method:

1. In a bowl, mash bananas along with buttermilk and 1 tsp of baking powder. Set aside.

2. In another bowl, sift flour and 1 tsp baking powder and set aside.

3. Cream butter and sugar using a hand blender. Add oil and egg and continue mixing. Once smooth, add the banana mixture and blend till the batter appears curdled.

4. Put away the blender and add flour gradually folding it into the batter until just combined.

5. Now add the rum and chocolate chips and give it a final stir.

6. Preheat oven to 180ºCelsius and butter a loaf pan thoroughly. Drizzle some flour in and across the pan base and sides and shake off the excess.

7. Pour the batter inside the pan and bake for 45-50 minutes till a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before unmoulding it.

8. Cut into thin bread-like slices and savour with your cup of tea or coffee.

A Dessert a Week Challenge: Week 20