Marbled Banana Bread (to die for)

Marbled Banana Bread
adapted from The Smitten Kitchen

3 bananas, large, very ripe
1/2 C (1 stick) butter, melted
3/4 C brown sugar (light or dark)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C plus 1/4 cup flour - divided
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 C  cocoa powder
3/4 C chocolate chips (I used bittersweet)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

Melt butter in large mixing bowl, in microwave.  Mash bananas into the butter.  Whisk in brown sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined.

Add ONE cup of the flour, stirring til it barely disappears.

Pour half the batter (don't have to be exact) into a second bowl.  Into one bowl, stir the remaining 1/4 C flour, and the cinnamon.  Into the second bowl, stir in the cocoa powder and chocolate chips.

Dollop the batters in large alternating spoonfuls into the bottom of the loaf pan, and then "checkerboard" the rest of the batter in.  Make a couple of figure eight swirls (just a couple) with a butter knife through the batter to marble it - don't overdo it.  

Bake 55 minutes - maybe longer - check with a toothpick (you may get a chocolate smear, but no batter).  Cool in pan about 10 minutes.  Run knife around the edge and invert onto a cooling rack.... and see how fast this disappears!  Don't ruin your appetite for dinner.;).

x
Mom

p.s.  Ooops - quilter friends - I inadvertently just posted this on the wrong blog;).  I keep a recipe blog for my kids to reference - but, now that it's here, I will leave it.  I did a little procrastibaking today:).