Spiced Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

(Makes one loaf tin aprox 25cm x 12cm x 6cm deep)

This might not make it to a dinner party, but it is truly one of the easiest recipes and ridiculously yummy.  Freezes so well, but smells so good coming out of the oven that I normally make two at a time, one for freezing and one for now!

Ingredients:                                                                         Time Taken:  15 minutes

2 large eggs
3 very ripe bananas
150g (5oz) caster sugar
100g (4 oz) softened butter
225g (8 oz) self-raising flour
100g (4oz) dark chocolate chips
1 level teaspoon baking powder
1 heaped teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 heaped teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons semi-skimmed milk

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C (160C Fan or Gas mark 4).
2. Lightly grease and line the loaf tin with greaseproof paper.  (Alternatively fill a 12-hole muffin tin with cases for individual cakes.)
3. Pop the ripe bananas into a large mixing bowl and squash with a fork until almost a pureed consistency.
4. Literally just tip all the other ingredients into the bowl and beat for a couple of minutes until well mixed.
5. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for about 1 hour, checking after 50 mins, until risen and dark golden brown.  (If using the muffin cases they will obviously not take as long so check after 20 minutes or so and keep checking until they are firm and springy to the touch.)  A skewer in the center should come out clean...unless it has struck a chocolate chip!
6. Leave to cool in the tin for a couple of minutes and then remove from the tin and take off the grease-proof paper.  Transfer to a wire rack until ready to eat.   
7. If you can bear to freeze it let it cool completely and wrap in foil and then clingfilm to keep fresh.
8. Defrost and then warm through in a coolish oven (approximately 110C) until ready to eat!

Hints, Tips and Alternatives:

• Once completely cooled, cut into thick slices and freeze each slice individually.  These are great then pulled straight from the freezer and popped into children's lunch boxes, keeping their sandwiches cold but defrosted by lunch-time!
• Use walnuts instead of chocolate chips, or half and half for a nutty affair.
• Mixtures of different chocolate chips works too...although we do find the dark the scrummiest!