Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

While I wait for Cory to finish playing with the camera so I can upload some new ones for the blog, I will tell you a little bit about my new love.  My new love hides under the mask of "healthy" by containing fruit, and not containing oil.  The downfall, or the highlight, depending on how you look at it, is the chocolate chips.  I was skeptical at first, but trust me...this one is a keeper.

And bonus...there is lots of kid assistance potential, hence my personal banana smasher, and her apprentice:

Chocolate Chip Brown Sugar Banana Bread

• 1 cup Mashed Bananas (2-3 Whole Bananas)
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, Softened
• ¼ cups Apple Butter Or Applesauce
• 2 whole Eggs
• 2 Tablespoons Milk
• ¾ cups Lightly Packed Brown Sugar
• 1-¾ cup Flour (sneak Some Wheat Flour In, Nobody Will Know)
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• ¾ cups Chocolate Chips
• ¼ cups Chopped Walnuts (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Smash the bananas until they’re broken up but not completely smooth. Some lumps are OK.
Add in the butter, apple butter, eggs, milk, and brown sugar. Blend with a hand mixer until everything is incorporated. Again, small lumps are OK.
In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and mix gently with a spoon. When all the flour is mixed in, add your chocolate chips and walnuts.
Spray your loaf pan with cooking spray, and pour in the batter. Bake until golden and a toothpick/piece of dry spaghetti comes out clean, about 60 minutes.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool to room temperature.
I used half semi sweet and half milk chocolate chips.  Heaven.

Also, since I made muffins (along with a loaf, I told you I love this stuff) the muffins only took about 30 minutes, and more like 45 for the loaf.