Loaded Banana Bread

Sprinkle when warm with some shaved
 chocolate and pecans (the pecans will
stick to the chocolate)

OK Sarah, here it is.  This Banana Bread recipe is very popular with the family and  because it is not too sweet is often eaten for breakfast.  It also makes a great afternoon snack and goes a long way as a hostess gift.

At one of our favorite restaurants in Paris (le Quinzième),  all the women in our party were given a little gift bag when we were leaving.  The waiter told us it was a gift from the chef to enjoy the next morning.  It was a miniature banana bread and Kat, Sarah and I all got one (poor Mike - who paid the bill - didn't get one).  We were so impressed and charmed by this gesture that I now do this when I have people over for dinner.  I think it is a great way to trigger a memory, the next morning,  of an evening shared with friends or family.    You'll just need a few miniature cake pans and a nice little gift bag.

You will need; 

1. 3 - 4 ripe bananas mashed with a potato masher;     the more bananas you use the more intense the banana flavor and the moistness of the cake;
2.  1/2 cup (175g) of white sugar;
3. 1 tbsp (15 ml) of vanilla extract;
4. 1  egg;
5. 1/3 (80 ml) of melted butter; (salted or not is OK);
6. 1 1/2 cups (200g) of white all purpose flour;
7. 1 tsp baking powder;
8. 1 tsp baking soda;
9. 1/2 tsp salt;
10. 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut; optional, adds a little something that is hard to detect so highly recommended
11. 1/2 cup of chopped pecans; optional or walnuts or hazelnuts, adds crunch
12. 1/2 cup of chopped dark chocolate; optional or milk or white chocolate depending on what you like, just remember white and milk chocolate are sweeter so don't put too much

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• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)
• Butter a bread/cake pan brushing the butter up the sides of the pan to help the cake rise;
• Mix mashed bananas, sugar, vanilla, egg and melted butter together.  Blend well;
• In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, shredded coconut, pecans and chocolate;
• Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and stir well - don't stir too much to keep the batter light and airy.
• Pour into buttered pans and bake until golden and toothpick or knife inserted into center comes out clean.
• Sprinkle hot cake with grated chocolate and chopped pecans. 
• Let cake cool and remove from pan.
• You can wrap and freeze to enjoy later.