Perfectly Delicious Black-Bottom Banana Bread

Perfection is ineffable.

Click here if you don't know what that means.

We food bloggers are always either looking for the perfect recipe or claiming to have it.
There are so many variations of the same thing - what makes one perfect and another slightly less perfect?
What about taking personal taste into account?

I might like a chewy, gooey chocolate chip cookie. You may prefer yours crispy. Or cakey (why you would though is a complete mystery to me). Same with brownies. This is my favorite. It might not be yours, but to me it's chocolate perfection.

Currently I am in search of the perfect way to roast a turkey. Every magazine tells me "the best way ever".  Really? What about last year's suggestion? Is it now imperfect? Is the method outlined in Bon Appetit truly superior to the one in Fine Cooking? Should I give each one a test run in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving? Or just go with the one that suits my idea of how turkey should be?

It's not my intention to turn cooking into a soul-searching exercise, but there are really so many unanswered questions.
It exhausts me and my little brain.

So much in fact that I had to step back from the whole thing and bake a banana bread.
Is it the perfect banana bread?
Maybe, if you like chocolate with your banana.
Maybe we I should stop worrying about perfection and just concentrate on deliciousness.
If you're with me, try this.
It's extremely delicious. And a little different than your average banana bread.
Perfectly enjoyable with your coffee while perusing magazines in search of the perfect Thanksgiving.

Black-Bottom Banana Bread
adapted from The Family Kitchen

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3 medium very ripe, or overripe bananas

1/2 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3 heaping tablespoons high quality cocoa powder

Topping:

1/4 cup flour

3 Tbsps. whole oats (not quick-cooking)

3 Tbsps. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3 Tbsps. butter, softened

1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour (or spray with baking spray) sides and bottom of 9" loaf pan. (If using an 8" loaf pan, there will be extra batter - you could put it in a ramekin or two and bake it up.)
Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add sour cream, eggs and bananas. Mix until well-blended.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Mix dry ingredients into wet.
Split the batter, placing half in a separate bowl. Sift the cocoa powder into one half and mix well.
Pour chocolate batter into prepared pan, smoothing top. Top with regular batter.

Place all the topping ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork until crumbly. Spread evenly over top of loaf.

Bake on center rack for 55-60 minutes (mine cooked a bit longer), or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out cleanly. Cool at least 20 minutes before removing from pan.