By It has been cold enough this week that I wore two sweaters simultaneously and still felt chilly at my kitchen table. Alabama does not get proper winter very often but when it does the drafts in my apartment find every gap in every window frame and remind me that this building is old and not particularly well-insulated. Biscuit has been sleeping directly on top of me every night, which I appreciate for the warmth even if he does press his cold nose into my ear at three in the morning.
I made banana pudding this week, Gloria's version, as comfort against the cold. The from-scratch kind, not the boxed pudding kind. You make a real vanilla custard on the stove, stirring constantly, which is meditative in a way I have come to appreciate. Layer it with vanilla wafers and sliced bananas and repeat, then top with meringue and run it under the broiler until the peaks turn golden. The meringue is the part I was afraid of for years. Now I like making it. Something satisfying about beating egg whites into stiff peaks with nothing but a whisk and time.
Sunday at Gloria's I brought the banana pudding and we ate it warm, which is not how most people serve it but Gloria says warm pudding in cold weather is the only sensible choice and I have stopped arguing. James had two bowls.
At work we have started a new rotation where I cover the infant room one afternoon a week to give the infant teachers a break. Infants are a different world from toddlers. Everything is quieter and more urgent at the same time. A toddler can tell you something is wrong. An infant can only cry and trust that you will figure it out. I find that kind of trust both beautiful and terrifying in equal measure.
After a week of back-to-back banana pudding ingredients sitting on my counter, I inevitably ended up with a few overripe bananas that were past their pudding prime — too soft and spotty for neat slicing but absolutely perfect for baking. This chocolate peanut butter banana bread is what I turn to in those moments, and honestly it carries the same spirit as Gloria’s pudding: humble ingredients, a little patience, and something warm to share. James would absolutely eat two slices.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 60 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Servings: 10 slices
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a standard 9x5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
- Mash the bananas. In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas thoroughly with a fork until smooth with only small lumps remaining.
- Combine wet ingredients. Stir the melted butter, peanut butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract into the mashed bananas until fully combined.
- Add dry ingredients. Sprinkle in the baking soda and salt, then sift in the flour and cocoa powder. Stir gently until just combined — do not overmix.
- Fold in chocolate chips. Fold in the chocolate chips, reserving a small handful to scatter over the top if desired.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55–65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Tent loosely with foil after 40 minutes if the top is browning too quickly.
- Cool before slicing. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Slice once mostly cooled — or eat a warm slice straight from the pan, because some weeks call for it.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 285 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 42g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 210mg