look to the bread ~ black-and-white banana loaf

My brother request Black-and-White Banana Loaf from the aforementioned Dorie Greenspan cookbook.

Though my marbling skillz clearly are lacking, the flavor was pretty good. You can't go wrong with chocolate and banana, and what was interesting was that the white part tasted like the dough for chocolate chip cookies thanks to the addition of brown sugar. I left out the rum, vital to the "rummy bananas", but it was fine all the same.

Reviews from the testers confirmed that this was good. I forgot to have my standard one-slice-plain-one-slice-toasted. I'll just have to live with that.

That's all, short post. I have a 10k race tomorrow, so look for a race report, along with accounts on pre- and post-race eats on Sunday.

Recipe after the jump

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Black-and-White Banana Loaf
from Baking ~ From my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan

ingredients ~
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 ripe bananas, peeled
Squirt of fresh lemon juice
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon rum
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk

directions ~

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325°. Butter an 8 1/2-x-4 1/2-inch loaf pan, dust the inside with flour and tap out the excess. Place the pan on an insulated baking sheet, or on two regular baking sheets sheets stacked one on top of the other (or, following the route of many banana bread recipes, bake it sans baking sheet).


2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.


3. In a small bowl, mash the bananas with the lemon juice and zest, then stir in the rum.


4. Melt the chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter together in a microwave oven or in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water (or directly in the saucepan, keeping your eye on it).


5. In a large bowl, beat the remaining stick (8 tablespoons) of butter at medium speed or until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the sugars and beat for another 2 or 3 minutes, until light and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. The batter will look curdles, and it will continue to look curdled as you add ingredients. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the flour mixture, mixing only until it is just incorporated. With the mixer running, pour in th emilk, and when it is blended, ad the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl and mix in the mashed bananas. The batter will look even lumpier.


6. Pour a little less than half the batter into the bowl with the melted chocolate and stir to blend. Drop alternating spoonfuls of both batters into the prepared pan, then, using a table knife, swirl the batters together, taking care not to overdo it.


7. Bake for 1 hour and 20 to 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Check after 30 minutes and if the cake starts to brown too much, cover it loosely with a foil tent. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it rest for about 15 minutes before unmolding, then cool the cake to room temperature right side up on the rack.