Chocolate Bourbon-Spiked Banana Bread

I've spent lots of time in my kitchen making banana bread.  I've added zucchini and loaded it with chocolate, I've mixed in cream cheese, and even thrown in caramel too.  But never have I ever added bourbon to my banana bread. And I've been missing out!  This is the first recipe I've made from the (newly published) Joy the Baker Cookbook and it was amazing!  The bourbon adds this wonderful extra flavor that I never knew banana bread was missing. 

Chocolate Bourbon-Spiked Banana Bread

2 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3)

1 tsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp bourbon

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (I omitted these)

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour an 8x4 or 9x5-inch loaf pan.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition.  Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add bananas, lemon juice, and bourbon.  Beat until well incorporated.

Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture all at once.  Beat until almost incorporated.  Stop the mixer and remove the bowl from the mixer.  Add the walnuts and chocolate chips and incorporate the rest of the ingredients with a spatula.

Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan.  Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and allow loaf to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Bread will keep for up to 5 days, well wrapped, at room temperature.

source:  recipe from Joy the Baker Cookbook