This is my most favorite time of the year. All the dark, cold days of winter have passed, and summer is here. The once bare trees have blossomed, filling the warm air with their perfumes. The grass is once again plush and a beautiful shade of green. The flowers are starting to reach for the sky and fill each yard with every vibrant color you can imagine. Everything looks so lovely and charming. The temperature outside is perfect.
The bees float from flower to flower in search of honey. There are adorable butterflies to watch flutter to and fro. You can hear the sounds of the birds chirping happily in melody. There is so much to love about spring and summer. People are outside, walking, biking and running. I definitely have Spring fever, and it carries over until the Fall comes around.
Did you know that “spring fever” originally referred to an actual illness? When the weather turned warm, people would develop headaches, stuffy noses or sore throats. Then “spring fever” changed in meaning and it was used to describe newfound affections. Elvis uses it in one of his songs to describe this romantic feeling. Now it is used to describe a restless feeling after a long, dreary winter.
We usually use the summer to lighten up our diet. Salads, fruits, and vegetables become our diet regimen. But let’s be real here…we have to sneak in dessert once in awhile.
This recipe is a perfect choice if you indulge in cheat days. It is not a light or fluffy dessert, but it is certainly packed with flavor. It does not rise up as much as a cake, it bakes up to the same height as a breakfast bar. I love using bananas, they are so moist and luscious. The chocolate chips swirl into the banana to create an enticing, perfectly executed bakery-fresh dessert. And oh, the wonderful smell while it is cooking! It is so easy and satisfying to make, there is no reason for you not to. The author suggests topping it off with some chocolate syrup or whip cream.
This recipe is courtesy of allrecipes.com and will make 12-16 bars that will make your friends and family swoon with delight, just as the warm weather does!
Ingredients for Banana Chocolate Chip Dessert
3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup mashed bananas
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease and flour a 10 x 15-inch jelly roll pan.
In a large bowl, cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until white and fluffy.
Beat in egg and vanilla.
Fold in mashed banana.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
Fold flour mixture into butter mixture.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Spread in prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes, until set.
Cool before cutting into squares
It’s that simple!
