Banana Bread

Well, I had opted to try my hand at several bread recipes but got stuck on this one as it is delicious.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup butter
3 oz. cream cheese
1 cup brown sugar (reduce to 2/3 cup at high altitudes)
2 ripe bananas
1 egg
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup flour (plus 1 T at High  Altitudes)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips (I like to use bittersweet chocolate chips if you can find them)

Heat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a loaf pan and dust with flour.
Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until light in color and fluffy.  Add the bananas, egg and sour cream and mix until smooth.  Add dry ingredients.  Stir in chips.  Pour into prepared loaf pan.  Bake for 60 – 75  minutes, until golden and not doughy in the middle.

High Altitude directions: Add flour, decrease sugar and add an additonal 1 - 2 T. milk.

Try...

Sometimes, I wonder why the thoughts of baking are at times more attractive to me than others. Not sure why, but finding a new recipe is somewhat of an exhilarating moment.

Somehow, I seem to always do save a few recipes to try when my husband has to go out of town for one reason or another. I pull out my recipes and viola! I have a new "project". Smile.

I have been reading up on methods of kneading, and intend to try the "slapping method" to see what comes of the bread quality - supposed to put air into the bread and give it a really light soft center. Let's see what happens...

First batch was a bust...did not account for the amount of liquid needed in the recipe which was for "winter bread" using cornmeal, bread flour and all purpose flour. Another try tomorrow...try, try again! :-/

Remember to cast the flour when kneading as it makes all the difference in the end product.

Also, a donut type of recipe is next...I'm starting to test bread recipes for the Veg cookbook!