Day 154 – Banana & Sour Cream Bread (with chocolate chips)

154/365 (June 3, 2010) – Do you know what the best part of this photo is? (Besides the fact that I get to eat what’s in it)

This banana bread is baked in my grandmother’s bread tins. Probably about 75 years old, and still going strong in my kitchen.

Now that’s getting back to basics! No strange chemicals coating these babies….just old tin that rusts if it isn’t dried well.

I have many recipes for banana bread, but this one is my current favourite. This is a modification of a modified recipe that I found in a Harrowsmith Baking Book.

Banana & Sour Cream Bread

2 large or three small ripe bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips (substitute walnuts if that’s more to your taste, or leave them both out…but why would you want to leave out chocolate!)

In a shallow dish, mash the bananas and blend well with the sour cream, baking soda and vanilla. Cover the dish and allow it to sit for a half hour or so. Don’t know why, but like I said….this is a really good recipe and whatever this does…it really makes good bread!

In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar together really well.

Add eggs and beat until well blended. Add the banana mixture to the bowl and mix well, then add the flour, salt and baking powder. Mix the chocolate (or nuts) in gently and pour into one greased 9 inch or two 7 inch loaf tins.

Bake in a preheated 325F oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Note: I actually find that this takes longer in my oven than the recipe says, probably because I usually use three large bananas, which makes it a wetter batter. So I bump the heat up by switching to convection, but don’t drop the temperature. I also usually bake it for at least 45 minutes and usually closer to 50 or 55. Just watch it closely after 40 minutes though.

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