Writers Who Bake: Amy Zaranek

When I first moved to northern Michigan, I wanted to find a hearty homemade banana bread recipe with one of my favorite ingredients: peanut butter! I found the beginnings of this one online, and after a few tweaks (like adding chocolate chips), it has become a favorite among family and friends. I hope you can enjoy it this holiday season and beyond.

Amy Zaranek’s Banana Peanut Butter Bread

Ingredients:

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

¾ cup peanut butter

2 bananas, mashed

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1.)Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease 5×9 inch loaf pan.

2.)In large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, beat well. Stir in peanut butter, bananas, flour, and baking soda until blended. Fold in chocolate chips.

3.)Pour into prepared pan.

4.)Bake at 325 degrees for 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Amy Zaranek is an award-winning writer and the managing editor of The Black Fork Review. Her writing has appeared in Yemassee Journal, matchbook, Stymie Magazine, and elsewhere, and her essays have been anthologized in collections such as OUR BEST WAR STORIES and TALES FROM SIX FEET APART. Amy holds an MFA from Ashland University and lives and writes in northern Michigan. Visit her online at amyzaranek.com.

Read Amy’s essay “Say Yes” in Bad Bride Magazine.

Editorial comment: I love quick breads, especially banana bread, but I’ve never tried making one with banana, peanut butter, and chocolate chips. This has got to be scrumptious and I’m moving it to the top of my to-do list!