Rich Chocolate Banana Breads with Pistachios, Pink Praline and Au Naturel

Recipe From What's For Lunch, Honey?

Ingredients

100g bittersweet chocolate,

150g butter, softened

170g Muscovado sugar

3 eggs

175g all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

25g cocoa powder

2 large bananas, ripe and mashed

For topping

Pistachios, coarsely chopped

Pink almond praline

Method

  1. Heat oven to 180 degrees C. Butter and line 3 small loaf pans with baking paper and set aside.

  2. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water.

  3. Cream butter and sugar until creamy, fluffy and pale. Gradually add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.

  4. Sift flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and fold into the the wet ingredients using a spatula.

  5. Add mashed bananas and melted chocolate and fold well.

  6. Divide mixture between the three pans, top one with pistachios, the other with the pink almond praline and leave one plain. Bake for about 30-45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a rack, then wrap in baking paper or foil.

Notes:

- The loaves will stay fresh and really moist for 3 to 4 days kept in an airtight container.

- Make double the recipe and freeze the loaves. If you cut them in slices before freezing you can easily take individual slices out a few hours prior to eating.

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