Monkey Bars

This is a great recipe for those over-ripe bananas, and a change from your traditional banana bread. The recipe calls for white whole-wheat flour which I did not have so I used regular whole-wheat flour. My monkey bars turned out a little darker due to the flour substitution, but they had a great flavor.

Monkey Bars (Woman's Day Sept. 2010)

1 2/3 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 5 bananas)

3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup milk

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp each baking soda and cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups white whole-wheat flour

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15x10x1/2 inch baking pan with nonstick foil (let the foil extend about 2 inches above pan at both ends). Whisk mashed bananas, sugar, oil, milk, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl until mixed thoroughly. Whisk in flour just until blended; gently stir in 1/2 cup of the mini chocolate chips. Spread batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Holding foil by ends, lift from pan onto a cutting board. Carefully cut lengthwise in 4 strips and then cute each strip in 10; remove foil. Makes 40 bars. (2ww pts)