Chocolate, Chocolate Banana Bread

1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups mashed ripe bananas -- about 3
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom of an 8 1/2 X 4 1/2 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, beat sugar, eggs and oil at medium speed until mixed. Beat in vanilla. In medium bowl combine flour, cocoa and baking soda. Beat into sugar mixture at low speed just until combined (batter will be very thick). Stir in bananas and chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into pan. Bake 60 to 70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

I made these into muffins and to me they taste just like the chocolate chocolate chip muffins at costco.

Cranberry Biscotti

2 ½ C flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ C sugar
1 ½ C butter at room temperature
2 large eggs
½ tsp. almond extract (I use vanilla)
1 ½ C dried cranberries
1 egg white



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and whisk to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs, butter and extract together. Mix in flour then dried cranberries.



Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each piece into a log directly on the baking sheet. Whisk egg white and brush top and sides of each log. Bake 30-35 minutes until golden. Cool completely. Slice logs with serrated knife and bake 10 minutes on baking sheet without parchment. Turn biscotti over and bake an additional 5 minutes.



I have thought of additions to this recipe, like pecans, macadamia nuts, white choc chips, orange zest, but have never tried them because I like it so much just the way it is….but it would probably be yummy.