Fresh Blueberry and Banana Bread {Recipe}

So, it's summer and I'm still heating up my kitchen to make my kids happy.  As soon as the bananas turned brown, I had a request for banana bread!

I also happened to have a container of fresh blueberries hanging around, so the resulting bread had blueberries studded throughout each slice.  The addition of lemon zest always brightens the flavor in quick breads and also makes me think summer!

This bread is nice and dense, so that if you wanted to toast it for breakfast and add a pat of butter, no one would blame you for indulging!  I think everyone in my house had at least a couple of slices and it disappeared within just a few days.  That's always a good sign and makes heating up the kitchen worth it.

Fresh Blueberry-Banana Bread

Recipe by Patsyk Original

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
  
• 1 cup granulated sugar
  
• 1 egg
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
  
• cooking spray

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
   
   
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar with a hand mixer. Add egg and beat well.
   
   
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
   
   
4. Add the mashed banana, milk and lemon rind to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and using a spatula mix gently until combined.
   
   
5. Add the blueberries to the batter, and gently fold until just combined.
   
   
6. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top springs back when touched.
   
   
7. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and allow to finish cooling on a wire rack before slicing.

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.