Chocolate Banana Bread

Notes: sub canola oil for butter add some espresso powder Using a blender, food processor, or a fork, purée the peeled ripe bananas until smooth. You should have 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups of banana purée. Butter or spray with cooking spray the inside of a 5x9-inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the middle. 2 Place the banana purée into a large mixing bowl. Stir the melted butter. Stir in the brown sugar and salt. Whisk to break up any clumps of brown sugar. Stir in the beaten egg and vanilla extract. 3 In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and allspice. 4 Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and stir until just incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips. 5 Pour batter into a buttered loaf pan. Place in a 350°F (175°C) oven and bake for 1 hour. Note that because of the chocolate chips that melt in the bread as it cooks, it's hard to check for doneness using a tester that you insert. One way to test is to gently push the center top of the chocolate banana bread down with your finger. If it feels relatively firm and bounces back when you release your finger, that's a good sign that it's done. 6 Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Gently remove the loaf from the pan and place on a rack to cool completely. Slice with a serrated bread knife to serve.