Time for Banana Bread

Sometimes you just need to have banana bread.  Often it seems to be linked to a low pressure system parked on top of my house, spreading grayness, along with rainy, cold stretches that seep into your bones and leave you no choice but to wrap up and hibernate.  That's when banana bread comes-a-callin'.  No, not just any banana bread, but the stuff with buttermilk and chocolate chips oozing out when you slice it up.  No fooling around here.

But this takes planning ahead...a few months ahead, in fact.  That's when my bananas slipped their skin.  And I'm not even exaggerating, it really went down just like that.  I woke up one morning and my hanging bunch of bananas (hung sweetly by the sink when first home from the grocery) had slipped their skins, and were laying naked on the counter with their mottled brown clothing still dangling from on high.  I really didn't know bananas were that talented, but I hastily gathered the overripe and overexposed fruit and stuck it in the freezer.  Dreary days lay ahead, I assured myself, and those bananas are likely to come in handy!

Almost every time I get a bunch of bananas, a few end up in this over ripened predicament- though none have ever committed the striptease act before.  But, I dutifully collect the post-ripe gems, bag them and freeze them.  They are easily slipped one by one into smoothies directly from the freezer, but once you have gathered a small collection, and the gray weather bears down on your neighborhood, it's time to try out this recipe.

Buttermilk is a key ingredient here, by the way.  I've taken to keeping buttermilk on my refrigerator shelf at all times, and if I may be bold enough to suggest it, so should you.  That way, every time you whip up pancakes, quick bread, biscuits, mashed potatoes, or marinate chicken, make baked goods, etc, slip it in the recipe in place of milk.  Locally, there is no topping Marburger Dairy's old-fashioned buttermilk, in my experience.  It's the real deal, and you will notice, so keep an eye out for it.

This recipe has been built with all of these favorites, sweetened with carmel-like brown sugar, and has the addition of all-purpose whole wheat flour.  You can use regular flour, but the texture of the whole wheat is a real bonus.

Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

4 very ripe bananas
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp buttermilk
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
2 egg
2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
2 -2/3 cups whole wheat, or all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mash bananas, baking soda and buttermilk in bowl, set aside. Blend butter, brown sugar, egg, salt and vanilla in medium bowl. Sift and mix flour with baking powder in another larger bowl.
Add banana and butter mixtures to flour mixture; stir to combine.
Spread batter in two buttered 8 x 4 inch loaf pans. Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven 50 to 60 minutes or until cooked through. Cool on rack.