Chocolate and Banana Bread [happy new year!]

Happy New year! 

Just finishing blowing off the cobwebs from 2013, I can't believe I've had my blog just over a year now. I remember this time last year thinking to myself 'hmm a blog sounds like a fun idea, this year I'll try do a blog', and here I am one year later still doing it (which is a big achievement for me because I get bored so quickly). 

I also remember no having a clue what to write or to have a theme or just my daily life, that's why if you look at my very first posts they're a little vague and... well..... strange! I can't believe I wrote a post on how we failed to make a frangipane for Burns night complete with a picture of the failed pastry case! 

Well I like to think my blog has progressed a little from this time last year, thank you to those who follow me or post comments and even if you just happen to be reading this! I hope you had a very nice new year too and best wishes for 2014! 

I just thought I'd share this from Innocent smoothies facebook page because it made me smile about the year ahead....

I also need to mention that next month and up until June I will be revising and doing my GCSEs (exams you take in England in year 11) so I may be posting even more infrequently than normal :( 

but please bare with! I haven't forgotten my blog (how could I!?) I will just be revising as that should probably be my number one priority.........

ANYWAY I will stop boring you now and commence onto the subject of cake! :D

         

So last night was a Friday night and I got back from my first week of school after the Christmas break and i just had one of those cravings, one of those craving which will only be satisfied by......... chocolate!

I knew exactly what I wanted to bake, something vaguely healthy but full of chocolate! (yes I did just use healthy and chocolate in the same sentence). So I baked one of the most comforting thing i know, a banana bread but full of gated chocolate.....

and then covered it in more chocolate...... 

This recipe is from one of our families favourite cookbooks (link next to title below) and a great thing is that this recipe makes 2 loaves, so you can wrap one up and freeze it so on those lazy days you can just get it our to defrost and cut off a huge piece and smother it in nutella! (remember I only said vaguely healthy) 

 Chocolate and Banana Bread 

(makes two 2lb loaves) from cakes and bakes from my mother's kitchen

•  55 grams of butter
• 150 grams of light soft brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 100 grams of natural yoghurt
• 35o grams of very ripe bananas (peeled and mashed)
• 300 grams of self-raising flour
• 200 grams of dark or milk chocolate grated (I used the food processor)
• nutella or chocolate sauce to finish! 

1. preheat the oven to 180 oC/ 350 oF/ gas mark 4 and line the two tins
2. beat the butter and sugar until combined and fluffy
3. whisk in the eggs, then the yoghurt and finally stir in the mashed banana
4. fold in the flour before adding the grated chocolate and folding once more
5. pour into the tines and bake for 35-40 minutes until brown, springey and a skewer comes out clean from the centre
6. leave to cool in the tins for 15 minutes before turning out
7. for fully cooled cut a slice, smother in nutella and/ or chocolate sauce and eat!