Banana Bread w/ Mascarpone
Level: Easy Yield: 1 Loaf
INGREDIENTS
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
⅓ cup mascarpone, plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, or sour cream
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temp
1½ cups very ripe bananas, mashed (about 3.5 - 4 large)
½ cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly coat 8½x4½" loaf pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a generous overhang on long sides. (I placed one piece the long way and a second piece the opposite… the bread easily came out of the pan)
Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat brown sugar, mascarpone, and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend after each addition and scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas and mix just until combined. Fold in chocolate and/or walnuts, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth top.
Bake bread until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 60–65 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let bread cool in pan 1 hour. Turn out bread and let cool completely (if you can resist) before slicing.
NOTE: I used Guittard Extra Dark Chocolate Chips 63% Cacao
TIP: To help suspend chocolate chips or other garnishes in the batter, just toss them in a bit of flour before folding them into the batter. This will help keep the chocolate chips, nuts and such from sinking to the bottom
SOURCE: Bon Appetite https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/banana-bread
