Chocolate Banana Bread

Chocolate Banana Bread

Yields 1 loaf

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas

1/3 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1) Butter and flour a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan.

2) In a bowl, with a mixer on high speed, beat butter and the sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs and beat until well blended. Stir in bananas.

3) In a small bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; add to banana mixture and mix just until evenly moistened. Stir in pecans. Pour batter into prepared pan.

4) Bake in a 350°F until a thin wood skewer inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert loaf from pan and cool completely on rack, about 1 hour.