Banana Bread

If I ever need to bring a sweet food item for someone, I usually go with my banana bread recipe. It’s really moist and flavourful, and it’s easy to adapt it to someone’s tastes by increasing or decreasing the amount of sugar, shifting the types of spices included, adding nuts, or adding milk or dark chocolate or even just a bit of cocoa powder. I regularly double the recipe and make two loaves. This bread is great for breakfast or a snack with a cup of tea or coffee.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (115 g)
1/2-3/4 cup sugar, depending on how much sweetness you like. I generally use 1/2 cup or even less.
1 cup flour
dash of salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla sugar
2-3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves, optional
2 eggs
1-3 bananas, depending on size of bananas and preferred banana taste; I generally use 3
1 cup chopped almonds, walnuts, pecans, or other appropriate nut, optional (walnuts are tastiest, almonds and pecans are also quite good)
1 cup chopped dark chocolate, optional (milk chocolate is fine as well, but I prefer dark. If you use milk chocolate, decrease the amount of sugar.)

1. Melt the butter.
2. Blend the butter and sugar.
3. Mix flour, salt, baking soda, and spices together, then add to the butter mixture but don't blend yet.
4. Beat eggs. Mash bananas very well.
5. Add eggs and bananas to butter mixture and blend everything together.
6. Add the nuts and chocolate, if using, and stir everything together lightly.
7. Butter and slightly flour a bread tin. I often “flour” a tin by using cocoa powder.
8. Add the dough to the pan and bake at 175 C for 35-45 min, but check on the bread after 20 min, and thereafter every 5 or so minutes. It should be brown on the top. Stick a knife in the middle and make sure it is fully cooked.
9. Serve and enjoy!