This Must be the Place: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Well...here I am...posting my first actual evidence of my baking prowess. HA!

I have to admit, the product turned out tasting great--moist, chock-full-o banana flavor, and delicious chocolatey goodness. In fact, there are two boys (well adults really, but put a sweet treat in front of them, and this is what you get) in my kitchen right now fighting over said bread as I type. However, my pictures of said prowess...well, they leave a lot to be desired, which I suppose is part of the learning process for a baking blog.

Any-who, the recipe is adapted from the baking book "A Passion for Baking" by Marcy Goldman. I just bought this book and I am in LOVE!!! Here is the recipe with the adaptations that I made.

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1 c. mashed very ripe banana
**For this, I just used two ripe bananas mashed--I didn't measure it out.

1/4 sour cream
**I used Greek yogurt instead

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
**I used pure Madagascar vanilla...yummy
2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4. tsp salt
**I use kosher salt
1 c. chopped walnuts
**I used 1 c. of milk chocolate chips instead.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray a 9" x 5" loaf-pan with nonstick spray.
In a mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until well blended. Add eggs, banana, Greek yogurt, and vanilla. Fold in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Scrape bowl to ensure that the mixture is well blended. Add the chocolate chips and stir by hand.
Pour batter into pan and bake for 50-55 minutes until bread springs back when pressed with fingertips.
Cool for 2o minutes in the pan and then turn out onto a cooling rack.

*Note: I learned a great trick to quickly mashing your bananas...using a pastry cutter! Seriously...it's sooooo easy, so try it next time you need to mash something. This would even work well for making guacamole!