Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I just absolutely love the Christmas season. I love that all of my family will be so close together for a couple of weeks and Christmas day when we all gather and celebrate the season and the real meaning of Christmas. Also, that crisp bright feeling of a winter morning when it has just snowed the night before and the sun peaks through the clouds and everything is quiet. I love that.
One of my favorite things, though, is when my mom does her crazy Christmas baking. She starts weeks in advance and stores it all in huge Tupperware containers in the garage. Honestly, we're talking like hundreds of cookies. And don't you dare try to sneak one...When we were kids we would make up tons of cookie tins for our teachers and friends.
The treat that I loved most was the mini banana bread. She always uses my gram's recipe and has these handy little loaf tins that make the perfect sized banana bread. A couple of weeks ago we had a "peanut butter" food theme for Bible Study, so I though I would adapt my Gram's banana recipe a little bit.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

For the regular banana bread  - remove the peanut butter and chocolate chips

May also be made in a normal sized loaf pan

Ingredients

1 cup butter (softened)

1/2 cup peanut butter (room temp)

2 cups sugar

4 beaten eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

4 tbls milk

4 cups flour

2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking powder

4 cups banana (make sure to measure out)

1 cup nuts (optional)

2 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips (1 cup for mixing in and 1 1/2 cup for garnishing)

1. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a separate bowl and set aside.

2. Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugar.

3. Add eggs, vanilla and milk until fully combined.

4. Add bananas.

5. Gradually add dry ingredient mixture. Then, chocolate chips if preferred (and nuts if preferred)

6. Pour into the tins until about a 1/4-1/2 way full.

7. Add remaining chocolate chips to the tops of the loaves.

8. Bake at 350° F for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when tested  rotating the pans half-way through.

Now you have a delicious (and cute) treat for your loved ones. Wrap it up with a little bow and give them away as gifts!

What's your favorite holiday treat?

Lisa
c/oMKE