Chocolate Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 200 g butter (+ 1 tsp butter for the pan)
• 80 g dark chocolate couverture
• 100 g whole cane sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 pinch salt
• 300 g spelt whole‑grain flour
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 2 tbsp highly defatted cocoa powder (14 g)
• 80 g ground hazelnut kernels
• 20 g Sesame seeds (2 tbsp)
• 3 bananas
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 60 g sour cream
• 60 g peanut butter (4 tbsp)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Brush a loaf pan with butter and line it with parchment paper. Chop the couverture into pieces and melt over a hot water bath.

2. 2.

   Whisk the remaining butter with sugar until fluffy.

3. 3.

   Separate the eggs; beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold yolks into the butter‑sugar mixture, whisking until frothy.

4. 4.

   Sift flour with baking powder, cocoa powder, nuts and sesame together and stir into the butter mixture.

5. 5.

   Peel two bananas, puree with lemon juice and fold into the batter along with sour cream. Fold in half of the melted couverture, then gently fold in the beaten egg whites.

6. 6.

   Pour batter into the pan and smooth the top. Peel the remaining banana, slice lengthwise and arrange on top of the batter.

7. 7.

   Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (160 °C fan; gas: level 2–3) for 30 minutes. Mix the remaining couverture with peanut butter, spread over the warm bread and bake for an additional 15–20 minutes.

8. 8.

   Remove from oven and let cool briefly in the pan. Then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.