February 23, 2015
Happy National Banana Bread Day, or what I would like to call Regina Kogel Day! Who is Regina Kogel? Arguably, she is a champion of banana bread. Assuredly, she is my mom. When I think of today’s celebrated loaf, I think of her.
Looking back, it seems my family was not particularly adept at consuming bananas in a timely manner because brown, squishy bananas equal banana bread, and there always seemed to be a loaf in Regina Kogel’s house. A believer in breakfast, Regina’s morning spread would frequently include a warm loaf of her freshly baked banana bread. A believer in butter, a slice of this bread was not complete until smeared with bright golden butter (though to be fair, the butter champion is my dad). In honor of my mom, and in honor of today, one of the many, weird, quirky, seemingly random food holidays, I bring you this Quelcy style recipe, i.e: if banana bread is good, chocolate banana bread must be even better! This logic has yet to fail me.
Whole-Wheat, Double Chocolate Banana Bread with Toasted Coconut
About This Recipe: Like mom’s but more chocolaty! This loaf begins with a whole-wheat pastry flour, cocoa powder and chunks of dark chocolate chips. Topping the very rich and gooey loaf with coconut yields a toasted crunch once baked. It’s sweet enough for dessert, but it’s wholesome enough for breakfast, so have it for both!
Happy National Banana Bread Day!
-Quelcy
Whole-Wheat, Double Chocolate Banana Bread with Toasted Coconut
Ingredients
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup pure cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 medium-to-large very ripe, organic bananas
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted & cooled)
3/4 cup organic light brown sugar
1 large organic egg
1 teaspoon rum or pure vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips
organic, unsweetened, shredded coconut, to taste
Directions
Heat your oven to 350°F. Oil a 9×5-inch loaf pan, and line with parchment.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, mash the bananas, then whisk in coconut oil, followed by the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla.
Stir dry and wet ingredients with a spoon until just combined.
Stir in chocolate chunks or chips.
Pour into prepared pan. Top with shredded coconut according to your love of coconut.
Bake 55 to 65 minutes, until a tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out batter-free (a melted chocolate chip smear is likely and acceptable).
Cool in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then use the parchment to remove the loaf and transfer to a cooling rack.
Enjoy!
