The following “Chew This!” column originally appeared in “The Courier-Times” and / or “The Shelbyville News”. Check their websites for further information and dates.

Frosted Banana Bread

Blaise Doubman

I love frosting! I put frosting on cookies, toast, breads, spoons! Ha! Currently the food trend is “funfetti” cakes, cookies, fudge and on and on. I am not too much one to fall into the food trend trap but I will admit this recipe came from me almost falling into a food trap. Have you noticed at all that the food trend right now is all things frosting. You can even buy “frosting shots”. Yes, special and super rich frosting served in shot glasses. Anyways, putting frosting on everything just simply seems like Heaven tome.

So, I decided after making a batch of my banana bread recently, that the one thing that I’d was missing was, you guessed it, frosting! So, I tried it and it was delicious! That is the thing about any banana bread recipe! You can add so many different flavor components that literally, there are hundreds of ways of making it! Stir in chocolate chips to the batter, or walnuts, oreven, cherries! This is one of my favorite new recipes and I think it will become yours too!

Frosted Banana Bread

For the bread…

2 cups white all-purpose flour

1 cup white granulated sugar

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 large eggs

¾ cup sour cream 

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup whole milk 

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the frosting…

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

3 ½ cups powdered sugar

2–3 tablespoons whole milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 cup white granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups white all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup oven roasted bananas

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray containing flour.

In a large bowl mix together the melted unsalted butter with the white granulated sugar, large eggs and pure vanilla extract.

Stir in the baking soda and salt.

Stir in the white all-purpose flour, in 1/2 cup increments until it has all been used.

Fold in the sour cream.

Fold in the oven roasted bananas.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top.

Bake, in preheated oven, for 55 minutes.

Once baked, remove and let cool in loaf pan. Gently remove.

To make the frosting, combine the melted unsalted butter, powdered sugar, whole milk and pure vanilla extract togetheruntil smooth. Generously frost the banana bread.

Cut and serve in large slices.

Ask and Answer: Someone recently asked me what my favorite dessert was and believe it or not, after thinking long and hard about it, decided that my favorite dessert was not chocolate! It is a sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream. Yes, the recipe is on my website. It is the perfect combination of sweet, savory, smooth, chewy, creamy and delicious. It really is a must try!