Chocolate Chip Flax Banana Bread

Yesterday I decided to use up some bananas that I had put in the freezer. Homemade banana bread sounded good, but the recipe I've followed for years just wasn't exciting enough. So I added chocolate chips, ground flaxseed meal and chopped pecans. Yummy enough for dessert but also kind of healthy, right?

Chocolate Chip Flax Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (we use organic unbleached flour)

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal

1/3 cup shortening

2/3 cup sugar

1 1/3 cups mashed banana (about 3 bananas)

2 eggs

3/4 cup chocolate chips (we used dark chocolate)

For the Topping:

1 cup chocolate chips, melted with 1 tablespoon milk (we used soy milk)

3/4 cup chopped pecans (walnuts would also be good)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a standard-sized loaf pan (8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches).

Sift together flour, baking powder, soda and salt in medium bowl.  Stir in the ground flaxseed meal and then set aside. 

In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar, and then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then stir in the mashed bananas. 

Next, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in three portions, stirring well after each portion is added.  Stir in 3/4 cup of chocolate chips.  Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until the bread tests done with a toothpick (check in several places, do not overbake the bread).  Set the pan on a cooling rack and cover with a tea towel, waiting to remove the bread from the pan until after it has cooled.  

Once the bread has cooled, melt the chocolate chips with the milk (we melted it in the microwave), and stir, then spread on top of the bread.  Sprinkle chopped pecans on top.  Slice the bread before the topping has cooled all of the way (it will be easier to slice before the chocolate hardens). 

The bread is best kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.