Coffee Chocolate Banana Bread

Once I got back from my summer holiday the first thing I wanted to do was bake! Because clearly I hadn't eaten enough cakes and ice cream and general junk food while I was away... Either way, first up was this Coffee Toffee Banana Bread from the LCBO, because there were so many frozen bananas in my freezer. I didn't have toffee bits or banana chips, so I used chocolate chips instead. I just wanted to try the coffee part - I was intrigued.

The banana slurry was made in small bowl: 3 ripe (thawed) bananas mashed with 1/2 cup cool brewed coffee. In another bowl, the dry ingredients: 2 cups whole wheat flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, pinch salt and nutmeg. In large bowl, stir 1/2 c melted margarine with 3/4 cup sugar. Stir in two eggs, one at a time.

Stir in 2 tsp vanilla and the banana/coffee slurry. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, and when it's almost incorporated, throw in 2/3 cup dark mini chocolate chips. Bake in an oiled loaf pan @350 for about 45 minutes. You can cover it with foil if it's getting too dark on top.

This was a perfectly respectable chocolatey banana bread, but the coffee did lend an odd undertone... I couldn't decide if I liked it, to be honest, though others did. This was also a somewhat 'healthier' version of this recipe, as it called for toffee chips in the batter, as well as on top (to melt into a sugary crust, I can only imagine). The banana chips on top would be a good idea to try. Maybe they helped balance the coffee taste in the bread? Perhaps. Either way, this was a lovely snack with which to continue my new tradition of afternoon tea - a great excuse to eat baked goods in the middle of the day without guilt.