Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

I know, I know. It's Christmas cookie season, and here I am, giving you a recipe for banana bread. But can you forgive me? I am getting ready to take my FIFTH and LAST final of the first semester of my junior year of college. Whew. It's a doozy, but it's crazy how fast time flies. Also, I promise that when I am home for break I will bake and post Christmas cookies like there's no tomorrow.

This brings me to my next question...

Overripe bananas anyone?

As I said this summer when I made those delicious Banana Crumb Muffins, I secretly love when bananas are too ripe to be eaten. Yes, yes, I love to eat bananas (smothered in peanut butter, on top of a bowl of cereal, dipped in chocolate) but does anything beat banana bread? Or Banana Pancakes for that matter?

Not really.

Plus, the fruit makes this bread healthy (right?). At least that's what I told myself when I ate half the loaf after lunch today. Health food!

This Banana Chocolate Chip Bread is divine. It's my favorite banana bread recipe to date, and it's been our family's go-to recipe since before we were a family (and by that I mean my mom got it from her college boyfriend...hehe, sorry dad!)

I prefer not to overload my banana bread with chocolate chips (I'm weird, I know), but I'd say add more chocolate chips if you are more of a choco-holic. I also think subbing the chocolate chips for peanut butter chips would be incredible.

So thanks, mom's college boyfriend, for sharing this fabulous recipe! Now y'all go let some bananas ripen so you can get to baking! Enjoy!

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread (makes 2 loaves)

• 1 1/2 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)
• 2/3 cup butter
• 2-3 large, ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 cups flour, sifted
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 large loaf pans. Set aside.
2. Cream sugar and butter together using a mixer.
3. Beat eggs, sour cream, baking soda, and salt. Add to this mixture the mashed bananas. Mix well.
4. Add your eggs, sour cream, baking soda, salt, and bananas to your creamed butter and sugar. Mix until combined.
5. Slowly add your sifted flour into your mixture. Mix thoroughly until all is combined.
6. Divide batter, and pour into your two loaf pans.
7. Bake for 1 hour (give or take 15 min. depending on your oven). Use a toothpick to test if it is cooked.