Tropical Chocolate Bread

Tropical Chocolate Bread

This is a great variation on banana bread and perfect for brunch when served with roasted peaches. Keeps for 2-3 days in an airtight container but it is very good when toasted thereafter.

150g butter
190ml caster sugar
2 eggs
30ml milk
2 ripe bananas, sliced
250ml self-raising flour
5ml bicarbonate of soda
62ml dodo powder, sifted
125ml desiccated coconut
160g De Villiers Cocoa Nut Butter Chocolate, chopped

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 11cm X 25cm X 7cm loaf tin with baking paper.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Beat on medium-high speed until creamy.
Add the eggs, milk and sliced bananas and mix for another minute.
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder together and stir into the mixture.
Take the bowl from the mixer, add the coconut and chocolate and stir through by hand.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Turn the bread out onto a wire rack to cool.
Slice to serve.

Honey-Roasted Peaches:
6 fresh peaches
15ml butter, cubed
62ml honey

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Cut the peaches in half and remove the stones.
Place the peach halves on an oven tray and dot the cubed butter over it.
Drizzle over the honey.
Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until caramelised and golden brown.
Serve on a toasted slice of Tropical Chocolate Bread.

Bitter Chocolate Banana Bread

Bitter Chocolate Banana Bread

This banana bread is delicious and chocolatey without being sweet and has incredible depth of flavour. I have included the substitutes for ingredients in brackets, to make it vegan. Enjoy this tea-time bread with a spread of salted butter.

220g banana, mashed (about three bananas)
5ml apple cider vinegar
35g butter, melted (nut butter)
300ml milk (soy milk)
100g sugar (Erythritol/any other sweetener)
a pinch of salt
200g flour
2,5ml bicarbonate of soda
10ml baking powder
50g cacao powder
40g + 40g dark chocolate, chopped

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a small bread tin (22cm X 11cm) with baking paper.
Mash the banana with a fork in a mixing bowl.
Add the vinegar, melted butter and milk and mix through with a spatula.
Add the sugar to this mixture and stir through.
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and cacao powder into the bowl and mix well.
Stir in 40g of the chopped chocolate.
Spoon the batter into the prepared bread tin and sprinkle the other 40g of chopped chocolate on top.
Bake the bread for 1 hour 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread, comes out clean.
Take the banana bread from the oven and lift the bread from the tin by holding the ends of the baking paper.
Cool the bread completely on a cooling rack before cutting.
Serve with a spreading of salted butter.