Top Honours Winning Marbled Banana Bars

As you all know, we love Banana Bread/Cake/Bar in this house, but this one is MY favourite Banana Bread/Cake/Bar recipe. I found this recipe several years ago when I was searching for the best banana bread's recipe. When I read that this recipe won top honours at some state and county fair, I thought that I must try this out. It is so fluffy and tastes so good, no wonder they won top honours. I can whip up this bars in 10 minutes and it's baked within 30 minutes. I have made this recipe so often, most of the time for Damian's office's potluck party and have been complimented on it every single time, and so will you when you bake this one !!!!

Top Honours Winning Marbled Banana Bars, adapted by Blue Ribbon USA: Prizewinning Recipes From State and County Fairs by Georgia Orcutt and John Margolies.

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Combine the sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed, scraping the bowl several times, until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the bananas, egg, and vanilla and continue beating and scraping the bowl until well mixed, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and stir with a whisk to blend. Add to the banana mixture and beat on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the bowl several times, until the batter is well mixed.

Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the batter and drop it by spoonfuls into the prepared pan, leaving a few spaces. Add the cocoa to the remaining batter in the bowl and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until well mixed. Drop the chocolate batter by spoonfuls into the pan over and around the banana batter. Using a knife, swirl the chocolate batter through the banana batter to make a marbleized pattern. (Do not over swirl.) Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely in the pan. Just before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired. Cut into bars.

Enjoy !!!