Happy Monday: Chocolate Chip Banana bread with a coffee twist

It's Monday again! The last couple of weeks have gone soooo fast that I haven't even realized it's almost May! OMG. In five weeks I'm going home, for the first time with Wally! The school year is almost over. The working permit should be here soon (hopefully very soon). I don't really like when time goes by so fast. I feel I don't have the time and energy to do all the things I would like to do. For example, I keep procastinating learning how to take better pictures for my blog. I keep reading and reading and reading about people tips and tools and cameras...but I do not really take action. The result is that my pictures still suck!

So I knew that today I would have needed something very energetic to start the week. I had a couple of ripe bananas at home. What does every American do with ripe bananas? Banana bread of course. So despite not being American I decided to follow the example. However, banana alone was not enough for me. I needed a stronger "week-starter".

Wally suggestion was chocolate chip (of course, he suggests to put chocolate chip in every recipe I was to twist around!). I found this amazing and simple recipe of Chocolate Chip Banan Bread from Daydreamer Desserts. However, I thought something was still missing. As a good Italian I tought of coffee! Good coffee! Espresso coffee! Directly from my small coffee machine. The same espresso I drink every morning.

This was the result: a super soft, moisty, yummy banana bread. I think what I most appreciate of this bread is that the taste of the three main ingredients is perfectly balanced. It bothers me when the chocolate chips or the coffee cover the taste and the texture of the banana. This time it did not happen. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread with a Coffee Twist

1 stick of unsalted butter, melted

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 ripe bananas

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup freshly brewed espresso

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a 9x5x3 loaf pan with parchment paper.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, add the eggs one at a time and mix until combined.

Sift dry ingredients together and set aside.

In a small bowl combine the bananas, the sour cream, the maple syrup and the coffee. With a fork mash the bananas into the other ingredients and stir until evenly combined.

Alternate adding the mashed banana mixture and dry ingredients into the batter mixing on low, just until combined in three batches. With a wooden spoon stir in the chocolate chips.Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Happy Monday!

Source: adapted from Daydreamer Desserts