Mini Chocolate Swirled Banana Bread Loaves:
1) In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, 3/4 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt.
2) Scold daughter for spilling flour on herself.
Honestly, Daisy Mae.
Honestly.
3) In a completely different and unrelated bowl, cream 1 cup sugar and 1/4c softened butter.
4) Realize you forgot to set out butter in preparation for the creation of these delightful loaves.
It happens.
5) Decide you have one of two options:
A) Wait until butter softens.
B) Microwave butter at half power for like 8 seconds . . .
get nervous and check butter at 4 seconds . . .
decide butter will survive . . .
microwave for the remaining 4 seconds.
I went with the latter option.
You may do as you see fit.
6) Mash about 3-4 medium bananas.
I highly recommend making your child do this for you.
7) Add mashed bananas to the sugar/butter bowl, not the flour-y bowl.
8) Add 2 eggs and 1/3c of lowfat plain yogurt or sour cream.
Truly, the choice is yours.
9) Beat all that stuff, with the exception of the flour-y mixture, of course, until well-combined.
10) Gradually add the flour-y mixture into the butter-y mixture.
Gradual is key.
Please be advised to follow that simple instruction, lest something like this happens:
Consider yourselves warned.
10) Decide you had no business whatsoever in scolding your daughter for making a flour mess.
Clearly, she comes by it honestly.
11) Mix together until just moistened.
Don’t overmix!
Trust me!
I, myself, have overmixed.
The results are less than satisfactory.
I don’t know, nor do I understand the science behind it, but clearly there is a reason you may not overmix.
100 (meaningless) points to anyone who can explain to me why.
12) In a third, smaller, and completely different bowl, microwave 1/2c of chocolate chips.
Don’t forget to sneak a few chocolate chips to eat right now.
13) Microwave for about 1 minute and stir until smooth. Let cool a bit.
14) Add 1cup of batter to the melted chocolate. Stir.
Now, here is where things get fun!
Please.
Try and contain your excitement.
15) Alternatively spoon plain batter in . . .
Then add some chocolate batter . . .
And top it off with plain batter.
16) Take a knife, and swirl batter to create a marbled look.
Like so:
Now, how ’bout them apples?
Everything I learned about swirling batters, I learned from my brief stint working in the hospital kitchen.
Me, along with my hairnet, were great swirlers back in the day.
Oh!
Did you not know I used to regularly wear hairnets?
Well, I did.
And, I ain’t gonna lie . . . I rocked ’em.
17) Bake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes.
18) Clean up!
19) Catch daughter hiding in laundry room with chocolate chips bowl.
Speaking of aforementioned daughter, look at this face she is making:
Her facial expression reminds me of someone . . .
Name that former female Office character.
I know you can do it.
Don’t let me down.
21) Pull loaves out of oven when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Or, when they are just about to burn because you are terrible at time management and had to leave them baking in the oven *gasp!* while you drove to pick up another child from school.
Aren’t they cute, albeit slightly over-baked, little loaves of banana goodness?
You may ask,
“But, Taylor, do they taste good?”
Why, yes, in fact, they do!
So, anyways, if you don’t have a fancy mini-loaf pan, I would recommend one.
You can use any sort of banana bread recipe, or other type of quick bread in it and you can have these cute little loaves.
They make great little gifts.
They are also great for packing lunches and freeze well, too.
Here is the recipe in a much shorter, and more reasonable format:
Chocolate Swirled Banana Bread
2 c. flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
¼ c. butter, softened
1 ½ c. mashed ripe bananas (about 3-4 medium bananas)
2 eggs
1/3 c. plain lowfat yogurt or sour cream
½ c. chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cups and level. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Cream sugar and butter. Add bananas, eggs, and yogurt, beating until just blended. Add flour mixture. Beat on low until just moistened. Microwave chocolate chips in a medium bowl for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 c. batter to chocolate, stirring until well-combined. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter (so you have stripes of plain and chocolate batter) in an 8 ½” x 4 ½” *loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters with a knife.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes (give or take a little; I’d probably set your timer for 1 hour and 10 minutes to be safe) or until a knife comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan and then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
*Or pour into mini-loaf pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until done.
***
Random Topic Quick Change!
Many of you know of my trials with Handsome Dude and his glasses.
You may ask,
“Why, pray tell, must Handsome Dude wear glasses?”
Well, dear readers:
That is why Handsome Dude needs glasses.
Have a lovely day!
We love banana bread! I always put chocolate chips in, but have never had a swirl. Well, I had a Swirl once at On the Border, and it was right before a party I was hosting for my husband, and he got me the big drink and didn’t know about the party. I’m not sure how he felt about that later.
They look good! And we just got bananas, too, for the very purpose of making banana bread.
I think I did a Random Topic Quick Change! I am heavily influenced by this blog.
Did you notice that Eliana was wearing socks with her sandals? 🙂 I thought of you when we went out.
Could I be a weirder commenter?
Well, I heart comments, so I am fine with your weird, odd, different, random, and strange comments! 🙂
Wow, those look awesome. No teachers right now but will definitely be making these for myself…and if their lucky, my family might get some as well..lol
Female Office character….my guess is Angela.
Your banana bread looks delicious!
Good guess . . .I decided to add “former” in front of Office character so people would have an easier time guess, as this character is no longer on the show! 🙂
Oh those look sooooo good! We will be trying that, thanks for the idea!
YUM! Those look amazing! I want to bake some now!
These look delicious! Great idea, Taylor!
She is making the exact face that Jim’s former girlfriend did, but for the life of me I can’t remember her name! You know who I’m talking about! Argh! I’ll think of it and come back later! Nice job on the banana bread-I will definitely try this recipe!
Karen! Ha! Victory is mine! ( I just thought of it and had to come back.) Man I hope I’m right or this is totally embarassing! 🙂
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!
Mindy!
You came through for me, per usual!
Oh those look fabulous!
Is there a “teacher” day i am missing? Should I be baking gifts too? Or are you just sweet like that and are blessing them with a delicious gift just for being so great?
So cute! And I would have guessed ‘Karen’ from The Office too.
Cxx
Love it! I will be putting mini loaf pan on my list! By the way, your family is adorable!
Yummy! They look awesome! I love banana bread I am sooo writing this receipe down for me and my family….no teacher’s yet! LOL
Oh I love how your precious kiddos participated in the fun!
xoxo
Summer :0)
How did you know I’ve been thinking of banana bread lately? I even have some bananas that need to be used for this purpose. So this weekend, I will be trying out your recipe. Thanks so much!
I totally thought you were leading into a Jason pic when you started asking about your daughters expression!
Whata fun post! I love all the pictures! So fun!
Your blog header is too cute! Hope you have a great Friday!
Darn I was hoping that LJ would have took a photo of you with the hair net on doing the swirl 🙂
I have the mini pan so thanks I will give this one a try.
Happy weekend to ya!
oh man, i am definitely trying this recipe taylor!!! 🙂 thnx!! the reason you don’t overmix is because the gluten in the flour, if you over excite it, it makes your dough tough?? as far as WHY?? i’m useless!! 🙂 btw to soften a full stick of butter right out of the fridge….stick it in the microwave for 15 seconds on full power and you are at a perfectly soft stick!! 🙂 your welcome 😉
Why, thank you! I will try and not excite the gluten from here on out! 🙂
Hey Taylor, there are very few things in life I am certain of. But, I am certain of the following:
1) When good people die, they are sent to North
Idaho…..
2) When bad people die, they are sent to either Miami or Houston
3) When God bakes..(bet ya did not know our creator bakes did ya) He makes different varieties
of banana bread and I’m sure he will try your recipe cuz it sounds pretty darn tasty
We never EVER have bananas that are worthy of bread around here, because they don’t last long enough. Even when they’re on sale and I’ve purchased 5,000. I think I may hide a few in the cupboard next time…
I just choked on a chip! What a great picture of HD. Thanks for the recipe as well.
It is so great you remember to appreciate your kids teachers… especially those elementary ones because that is a hard job!
…and I love the last *reminder* of why he needs glasses- you are crackin me up!
I love that idea – it sounds delicious. And as someone who has taught many a year of Sunday school, getting a gift that isn’t something you have to keep forever or feel guilty while giving away is a gift in itself.
The Office character is Karen
Thanks for the receipe!!
Oh, yum! Those look delish! What a blessing to gift the teachers! 😀
Yum! These look delicious!