Salted Chocolate Banana Bread

Description

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg until well combined.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream together until fully combined. Add the bananas and mix for about a minute to smash the bananas thoroughly. Add the sour cream, eggs and vanilla and, you guessed it, mix. Finally, add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Tip: Do not overmix the batter, as it can make the crumb tough and result in large "worm" holes.

Melt the chopped chocolate over a double boiler or microwave it in a glass or plastic bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between intervals so the chocolate does not burn. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly. In a medium bowl, mix 1 cup of the batter with the chocolate until well combined.

Pour the banana batter into the prepared pan. Pour the chocolate batter in the center of the batter and swirl throughout the batter with a spoon to create the marbling effect. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes (okay, maybe one crumb. Or two).

Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer it from the pan to a cooling rack to continue cooling to room temperature, and you're done! Slice, sprinkle with flaked sea salt and a touch of chili powder. Boom. Banana chocolate deliciousness.