my favorite banana bread

Banana bread with bourbon, spices, cherries & chocolate chips
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

I am super guilty of always buying bananas and completely neglecting them until the only thing I can do is make banana bread.  They always seem like such a good idea in the store.  I think, maybe I'll make smoothies this week, or have them on toast but it never ends up happening.  I just end up with 3 or 4 overripe bananas.

I've experimented around with creating different kinds of banana bread, but I have finally settled on my go-to favorite kind.  Does anyone remember when Peet's Coffee had chocolate cherry banana bread?  Or wait, do they still make it??  Either way, that was always a favorite of mine and so I began substituting nuts in my banana bread for dried cherries.  The last time I decided to make banana bread, I was searching for some new twist when I came across Smitten Kitchen's Jacked Up Banana Bread.  Banana bread with bourbon?  Sign me up!  I updated her recipe a little by using my favorite spices and of course chocolate chips and cherries!  This is also one of the easiest recipes ever! I hope you like this banana bread as much as I do.  I might need to go make some right now actually...

[ INGREDIENTS ]
3 very ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup salted butter, melted
¾ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 ½ tablespoons bourbon (I used Bulliet)
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1 ½ cups plain flour
1 cup chocolate chips
½ heaping cup chopped dried cherries
​

[ DIRECTIONS ]

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Butter a 8x4 loaf pan and set aside
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the bananas and melted butter. 
4. Mix in the brown sugar, egg, and bourbon.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the baking soda, spices and flour.
6. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and stir until just combined.
7. Fold in the chocolate chips and dried cherries.
8. Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Cool completely on a cooling rack.
10. Enjoy!