RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Bananas are versatile fruit that can be eaten right off the bunch or utilized in a bevy of recipes. Despite being characterized as the first superfood endorsed by the American Medical Association in the early 20th century, bananas are avoided by some people. Some claim that bananas make people gain weight or develop constipation, but many medical organizations point to the nutritional benefits of bananas, which contain potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, fiber, and manganese.

A banana's flavor starts out as mildly sweet and gains more sweetness as it ripens. Very ripe bananas, or those that have brown speckled skins, don't need to be discarded. They make perfect additions to baked goods, notably banana bread. Before tossing out brown bananas, consider this recipe for Chocolate Chip Banana Bread courtesy of Jenna Barnard and the Butternut Bakery Blog. The recipe yields one loaf.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups ripe and mashed banana (3 to 4 medium bananas), measured

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup 2 percent Greek yogurt (sour cream also works)

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, plus a handful more for sprinkling on top

DIRECTIONS: Preheat your oven to 325 F and grease and line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter and sugars until you reach a paste-like consistency. This may take some vigorous whisking for a minute or two. You can either use a whisk or an electric mixer with the paddle attachment.

Add in your mashed bananas followed by the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla.

Once all of your wet ingredients are mixed together, fold in the dry ingredients. Then, fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top if you like.

Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let it cool completely before removing it from the pan. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.