普羅旺斯的天空下 Living in Provence

這是一個非常簡單的甜點, 我通常會在星期五晚上製作此蛋糕, 為了當做週末的早餐。但這一次則是為了讓老公帶到公司分給同事們一起慶祝一下他的生日, 所以我加了一點點的香蕉酒...
(此黑巧克力塊與香蕉蛋糕最好是使用全熟的香蕉, 並將蛋糕於室溫中保存以增加香蕉味及蛋糕的濕度)

250公克 有機中筋麵粉
120公克  無鹽奶油, 室溫放軟
210公克 有機細砂糖 (我使用了有機細蔗糖)
5根 全熟的香蕉, 壓成泥狀 (若使用較大根的香蕉, 4根即可)
2 茶匙 泡打粉
1 大匙 香蕉酒 (可有可無, 也可加入香草籽)
2顆  有機雞蛋 (室溫), 略打散
200公克 黑巧克力 (我使用 Lindt 牌 85% 可可成份固體 cocoa solids)

烤箱預熱至180C

先將膜具 (我使用的長條膜具尺寸為 6 x 24公分)塗上薄薄一層的奶油, 然後墊上烤紙; 也可塗上薄薄一層的奶油, 然後膜具灑上薄薄一層的麵粉 - 這2種方法都是為了方便脫膜。

1.  將麵粉和泡打粉於一大碗中均勻混和
2.  將香蕉酒(或是香草籽)加入香蕉泥, 混和均勻

3.  將細砂糖、雞蛋和奶油加於香蕉泥中, 攪拌均勻

4.  混入黑巧克力

5.  將麵粉和泡打粉加進, 輕輕的混和均勻 (過度的混和會將麵粉內的筋性帶出, 做出來的蛋糕便會乾硬)
6.  將麵糊倒進膜具烤1小時 -  1小時10分鐘
(我通常會在烤1小時後, 測試蛋糕是否已烤好; 測試方法為: 輕輕插入金屬籤或刀子, 取出來若無沾覆麵糊即可, 若沾覆黑巧克力是正常的, 因巧克力遇熱融化。)

出爐後, 先別馬上脫膜, 讓黑巧克力塊與香蕉蛋糕先在膜具內冷卻20分鐘, 然後便可脫膜移至烤架繼續放涼。

老公偷吃了一小塊, 他說香蕉味因香蕉酒更為濃郁。

English Version:

Banana and dark chocolate bread (more like a cake)

This is a very simple bread (cake) to make.  I make it every now and then, mostly for our weekend breakfast.  But this time, it was for my husband to take to his work to share with his colleagues for his birthday...so I added some banana liquor!

250g of organic plain flour
120g of unsalted butter, softened
210g of organic caster sugar
5 ripe organic bananas (medium sized), mashed
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 tablespoon of banana liquor (optional)
2 organic eggs, lightly beaten
200g of dark chocolate (I used Lindt 85% cocoa solids), break into bite-size chips

Preheat the oven to 180C

Lightly grease a non-stick loaf tin (6 x 24 cm) and line with baking paper.  Alternatively, you could also grease and flour the tin.

1.  Mix well the baking powder and flour in a large bowl.
2.  Add the banana liquor to the mashed banana and stir to combine.
(you could also add some vanilla seeds from half of a vanilla pod if not using banana liquor)
3.  Add the sugar, eggs and butter and mix well.
4.  Stir in the dark chocolate chips.
5.  Add the flour mixture and stir to combine, very gently as you don't want to overwork the gluten in the flour.
6.  Pour the batter into the loaf tin and bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 10 minutes.
(I normally check if the bread / cake is done after 1 hour of cooking; you can do this by inserting a metal skewer and if it comes out clean, the bread is done.)

Leave it to cool for 20 minutes in the tin and then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool.  Serve in slices.

My hubby could not resist these little treats so he had a bite first.  He told me because of the banana liquor, the taste of banana is more intense.