Peels and All Banana Bread

_INGREDIENTS:

• 2 ripe bananas (Deep yellow bananas with speckled black spots on the skin are perfect) - should yeild around 240g banana pulp
• 2 eggs
• 115g butter
• 250ml milk
• 115g brown sugar 
• 525g Plain flour 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt 
• ½ tsp vanilla extract 
• 20g chopped walnuts 
• 35g Chocolate chips (dark or milk chocolate)

_{INSTRUCTIONS:}

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C
2. Melt the butter in a pot on the stove or in the microwave. Set aside.
3. Wash the bananas, skins and all, and then cut off the stalky end of the banana. 
4. Slice one banana in half down the middle. Remove one half of the banana from the peel, and set-aside. We will use this to garnish the top of the banana bread.
5. Chop the other half and the remaining banana (including the skin!) into pieces. 
6. Place the chopped banana and skins into a blender and blitz until smooth.
7. In a bowl combine the melted butter, blitzed banana, milk, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs. Mix until combined. Add in the flour, baking soda, salt and mix through. 
8. Add in the walnuts and chocolate chips. 
9. Pour the mixture into a lined or greased loaf tin, making sure it’s spread evenly. Place the reserved banana half on top. 
10. Bake for 55- 60 minutes. 
11. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly for 10 minutes. Serve with butter.

STORAGE TIP: Slice the banana bread. Freeze the slices in an airtight container and remove from the freezer as needed. Defrost the night before to add to school lunch boxes.