Chocolate Banana Bread

Makes one 9-inch loaf

Ingredients
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
4 Tbsp of Cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1¼ cups walnuts, chopped coarse
¾ cup sugar (or 1 cup of Splenda to make Sugar Free)
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 very ripe, soft, darkly speckled large bananas, mashed well (about 1½ cups)
½ cup plain yogurt (I use plain greek yogurt)
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
¾ stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional
Or you can just add ¾ cup of chocolate chips when you add the walnuts to the dry ingredients

Directions

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350° F degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan; dust with flour, tapping out the excess. (the flour in the pan is very important – this helps the bread "climb" the wall and rise)
2. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and walnuts together in a large bowl; set aside.
4. Mix the mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla with a wooden spoon in a medium bowl. Lightly fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined and the batter looks thick and chunky. Do not over mix. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
5. Bake until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.Serve warm or at room temperature. (The bread can be wrapped with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

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