Food Friday: Banana-Chocolate Chip Bars

I had a bunch of bananas sitting in my freezer and last week I decided to see how many I could use up. I made several batches of banana bread into muffins but I wanted something else. I found this wonderful recipe in my trusty Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

Banana-Chocolate Chip Bars

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup mashed bananas (2-3 medium)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 6oz package (1 cup) semisweet chocolate pieces
2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Grease a 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan (I used a standard cake pan); set aside. In a medium mixing bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add to the sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt; beat till combined. Beat in the egg, bananas, and vanilla till combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Stir in the chocolate pieces (I used chocolate chips) and, if desired, nuts.

Spread in the prepared baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven about 25 minutes or till golden. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes 36 bars.