Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

I seem to be stuck on banana bread (see Marbled Nutella Banana Bread and Boozy Banana Bread, but I do have ripening bananas in my kitchen on a weekly basis, and there are so many recipes for so many variations.

Getting to Know Me and You

I've recently become a fan of Kim at My Inner Chick, and her hilarious, poignant, and important voice in the blogging world. Her responses to some "Foodie Questions" that she found on the blog of Mandy at The Complete Cook Book prompted me to accept her invitation to share and get to know one other with the questions below. And be sure and check out Mandy's original post at The Complete Cookbook!

(Apologizing in advance for the fact that some of my responses have two answers - I'm a Gemini and can't help it.)

Light Brioche Revisited

In June I discovered a wonderful bread recipe on the blog of Lucie Madeleine and made these hamburger buns. I have made the recipe several times since, to the delight of my family, and most recently for a luncheon for church. This time I made petite rolls, and I was very pleased with the results.

Between rubbing butter and flour together with your fingers and being careful not to add too much flour, this dough is not the easiest to handle; but the reward of following the instructions is a deliciously light and tender roll.

Lesley's German Chocolate Chip Cookies

I found the recipe for these delicious German Chocolate Chip Cookies on the blog of Lesley's Eats. The story she wrote about having lunch with her Mom and sharing one of these cookies, then recreating the recipe with her made me lonesome for my daughter, who moved away to Dallas last summer, and my Mom, who shared many restaurant desserts with me.

I decided on the spot to make them, and needing a chocolate fix to cheer me up, off to the kitchen I went to soften the butter. About an hour later I was eating my first cookie.

Marbled Nutella Banana Bread

I have been a follower of Emily, aka Sugar Plum, since she made a comment on my blog about Oklahoma in 2008. Emily creates original recipes, and she is Food Network-famous. She is cute and funny, her blog is a fun read with gorgeous photos, and she is gifted in the kitchen - I just love her to pieces!

I had never tried Nutella and didn't quite "get" what all the fuss was about. When Emily posted a recipe for Marbled Nutella Banana Bread, I finally decided to buy a jar and try it out. I'm glad I did - it's delicious! Her recipe makes a perfectly moist, not-too-sweet bread, and the addition of Nutella to half of the batter adds just the right amount of chocolate to enhance the banana flavor and not overwhelm it. I could have eaten the entire loaf, but fortunately I was giving it away.