TWD: Better Late...

So, I am a little slow out of the gate with the Tuesdays With Dorie baking group. I did bake it last night, but I was just too exhausted to post the pictures. I was really looking forward to my first recipe thanks to Ashlee over at A Year in the Kitchen. I like bananas, but I don't like cooked bananas. Yeah, I know, a weird quirk. I thought it was pretty good, just wasn't a favorite. On a high note, I did learn how to marble and I was able to dust off my KitchenAid. Who doesn't love playing with that toy... it makes me feel like I am really a good baker besides just playing one. If you like "baked" bananas, this one is gonna be right up your alley.

Black-and-White Banana Loaf

1 1/3 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1 ½ ripe bananas, peeled

Squirt of fresh lemon juice

Grated zest of ½ lemon

1 tbsp. dark rum

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 stick plus 2 tbsp. room temperature butter

2/3 c. packed light brown sugar

1/3 c. sugar

4 large eggs

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

½ c. whole milk

Center a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8 ½ x4 ½ x 2 ½ inch loaf pan on an insulated baking sheet.Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.In another small bowl, mash the bananas with lemon juice, zest, then stir in the rum.Melt the chocolate and 2 tbsp. butter together in a microwave or saucepan over simmering water.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter at medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the sugars and beat for 2-3 more minutes, until light and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. The batter will look curdled, and it will continue to look curdled as you add ingredients.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the flour mixture, mixing only until it is just incorporated. With the mixer running, pour in the milk and when it is blended add the remaining dry ingredients.Scrape down the bowl and mix in the mashed bananas. The batter will look even lumpier.

Pour a little less than half the batter into the bowl with melted chocolate and stir to blend. Drop alternating spoonfuls of both batters into prepared pan (or follow any of the marbling techniques on page. 229). Then, using a knife, swirl the batters taking care not to overdo it.

Bake for 1 hour and 20 – 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Check after 30 minutes, if the cake browns too much, cover loosely with a foil tent. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it cool for 15 minutes before removing it from the pan. Continue to cool on the rack.