Chocolate Banana Bread

This bread is chocolate heaven, really—a rich, dark, dense loaf, made with ripe bananas and pureed prunes, that tastes far more sinful than it really is. Serve warm, sliced thin, with fresh fruit, or freeze for up to one month.

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

2 cups water
12 ounces pitted prunes
2 medium ripe bananas
2 large eggs
1 cup unbleached all-purpose or whole-wheat flour
½ cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 cup chopped walnuts
½ cup banana chips, broken into small pieces
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350° degrees F. Lightly butter an 8-cup loaf pan, and line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper.

In a small saucepan, combine the water and prunes and bring to a simmer. Simmer slowly until the prunes are very soft, about 30 minutes. Drain any excess liquid.

Puree the prunes, bananas, and eggs in a blender until smooth.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda into a large bowl. Stir in the banana mixture and combine thoroughly. Gently stir in the walnuts, banana chips, and chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean (or with only a bit of melted chocolate chip on it).

Turn the loaf out onto a rack to cool, and remove the parchment from the bottom. Cut into thin slices to serve.

Enjoy!