Milk Chocolate & Macadamia Nut Banana Bread

Yes, that's right.

Milk chocolate  ~  Macadamia nuts   ~   Bananas.

Three things that belong together, forever, and ever....and ever.

This Milk Chocolate Macadamia Nut Banana Bread is packed with flavour. I'm talking about cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper and vanilla, not to mention milk chocolate and roasted macadamia nuts (heaven!). I don't think I need to embellish. You are smart people - you can see that this combination is wildly delicious.

It's also made with two whole bananas and whole wheat flour.

Fruit & fiber. Done and done.

Before you go and make this loaf, which I know you will because it's absolutely incredible (and you need a quick breakfast to carry you over for this week, right?), first combine the milk and lemon juice because it needs to stand at room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes.

This is a sort of substitute for buttermilk. Buttermilk doesn't actually contain any butter - traditionally, it's a by-product of making butter. Nowadays it is just cultured or fermented low-fat milk.

Adding bacterial cultures to the milk, as in sour cream and yogurt, serves to thicken it. This is because certain bacteria, called lactic acid bacteria, feed on lactose (milk sugars) and produce acidic compounds as they metabolize these sugars. As the acid is slowly released, it denatures the proteins in the milk causing them to bind together in a network that forms a gel-like structure. This results in a creamy, slightly thickened sour milk.

Now, adding lemon juice to milk will not give you the same smooth and creamy texture since we are adding it all at once, as opposed to the very slow release by bacterial cultures. So, don't be surprised when your milk starts to curdle and look a little chunky. It's all good.

Just make sure that as you pour in the lemon juice, stir gently and then leave it alone. The more you stir it afterwards, the more you will break up the structure.

Do not to skip the lemon juice though, because the acidity is necessary to react with the baking soda in this lovely recipe! That's kind of an order, but in a "I just want you to have a successful banana-bread-making experience" kind of way.

I heart you.