Chocolate Banana Bread

Mary Adams

½ cup unsalted butter; softened, plus more for pan

2 cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted

2 eggs

3 very ripe bananas

1 teaspoon vanilla

Confectioners sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9: x 5” loaf pan.  Mix together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in large bowl.  In another bowl, beat butter until light; beat in chocolate, eggs, bananas and vanilla.  Stir in dry ingredients just until combined; do not overbeat.  Pour batter into pan.  Bake until toothpick inserted into center of bread comes out almost clean, 50-60 minutes.  Cool in pan on rack at least 15 minutes before removing bread from pan to rack.  If desired, dust with confections sugar.