"Poetry is what we do to break bread with the dead." -Seamus Heaney

     It never really occurred to me that quick breads were not as popular outside of the United States until I lived in Italy. Not only did they not trust my zucchini bread to be sweet, but they doubted its carby title as well. To be fair, in the traditional sense, these "breads" much more resemble cake in their taste and structure, but are still referred to as bread on this side of the pond. The wonder of quick breads is in their simplicity; you don't have to frost them, you don't even have to glaze them, and recipes typically don't result in a surplus (I don't understand what a cake surplus would look like, but to each his own). As we are ushered into October, I decided to make one last sunny, summer treat.

Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

They don't call em quick breads fir nothin. Start by mashing your bananas in a large bowl. Then add the sugar, oil, vanilla, chocolate chunks, and egg. Mix well. In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Pour the dry mixture into the wet and mix just to combine. Pour the mixture into a greased loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes (check at 40 minutes as banana bread tends to overcook). Let the bread cool for a few minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack. Since I'm a big fan of saturated fat, I eat mine warm with butter. Feel free to add nuts to this recipe, or anything else for that matter, as long as it doesn't contain too much liquid. 

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Recipe

(Adapted from Thrifty T's Treasures)

350 F 50-55 minutes

3 medium bananas, mashed

3/4 c sugar

1/4 c vegetable oil

1 egg

1/2 c unsweetened chocolate chunks

1 1/2 c flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt