Curry Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

This bread is scrumptious. The curry flavor blends so nicely with the sweet mellow bananas and creamy chocolate. The coconut adds a familiar aspect and presents itself as a way for all of the flavors to come together. I highly suggested warming your slice in the oven or microwave and topping it with a nice pat of butter and letting it melt down into every nook and cranny... Mmmm!

The Curry Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread makes a great breakfast, or just a nice afternoon snack! Don't be scared of the curry, I promise the flavor is subtle enough that it doesn't overpower the other ingredients, but pronounced enough to give it a tasty exotic flair. Serve this to your friends and neighbors and it won't soon be forgotten!

Curry Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

recipe adapted from here

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup granulated or caster sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 mashed overripe bananas (I find if the are very overripe like mine which were frozen, you don't need to mash them first and can simply put them in whole and they will blend up just fine)
• 1 tsp coconut extract
• 1 cup chopped curry milk chocolate (I used 3400 Phinney Chocolate by Theo Chocolate in Organic Coconut Curry Milk Chocolate)

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and butter and flour a 9x5 loaf pan.
2. Toast coconut in a skillet on the stove, being careful not to let it burn. Set aside to cool.
3. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and coconut in a bowl and set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs and beat until fully incorporated. Next add the bananas and coconut extract and mix well.
5. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks.
6. Pour batter into buttered and floured pan and bake for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then remove, allowing it to cool to room temperature before slicing.

The bread can be stored at room temperature for two days in a sealed container, or refrigerated up to a week.