Banana and Chocolate Bread

Here's the second of the banana recipes I tagged from Donna Hay. Frankly, I tried it because I wanted to see how chocolate and bananas turned out in a bread. And it works. Beautifully. It makes a lovely loaf with just the right amount of chocolate to tempt you chocoholics.

Banana and Chocolate Bread
From Donna Hay magazine, Issue 67

Ingredients:
125 g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon mixed spice (I used pumpkin pie spice)
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 3 or 4)
1/4 cup golden syrup (I used Lyle's)
100 g dark chocolate, melted

cocoa for garnishing

Method:
Preheat oven to 325.
Grease and line a 3 by 12 by 3 loaf pan with parchment paper.
Place butter and sugar in an electric mixer bowl and beat 10 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and then the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix only until combined.
By hand, add the spice and the golden syrup. Mix well.
Divide the dough in half and add the chocolate to one half.
Place alternating spoonfuls of each mixture and swirl with a knife. Not too much or you won't be able to see the swirls.
Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely in the tin. Dust with cocoa to serve. (I didn't have any unfortunately, because I think it would be the perfect finishing touch.)