Black Bottom Banana Bars

This recipe has it all: alliteration, banana taste that borders on brownie texture, sort of healthy for you (it could be worse) and chocolate for those of you who are into that sort of thing!  I've been making this recipe for years, I think I first found it in my mom's Taste of Home Magazine (either that, or she made it first-I can't remember).  Here you go:

Black Bottom Banana Bars from Taste of Home magazine

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in the bananas. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well.
• Divide batter in half. Add cocoa to half; spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Spoon remaining batter on top and swirl with a knife.
• Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until the a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool a wire rack. Yield: 2-1/2 to 3 dozen.

A cross between a cake-brownie and banana bread, a great recipe to use when you want to expand your banana repertoire beyond banana bread.