Banana Bread
I finally got around to buying a loaf tin so that I could make banana bread. I love bananas and I love bread so naturally I think banana bread is pretty damn awesome. Moreso now that I can bake my own!
Although, it's pretty much cake, don't you think? Is it called bread to fool us into thinking we are eating something vaguely healthy? Hmm...
Anyway, I made a version of banana bread, modified from a breakfast recipe book. (A gorgeous book from marie claire* that was given to my partner by suzysiu.)
Banana, sunflower and pistachio bread
100g butter, softened
120g muscovado sugar (I just used dark brown sugar)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
500g ripe bananas, mashed (other recipes I've seen call for over-ripe almost black bananas... 500g worked out to be 4 medium 'nanas.)
250g/ 2 cups, self-raising flour
1tsp bicarbonate soda (baking soda)
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice (or you could just add some cinnamon and nutmeg)
100g shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped (I substituted pecans! yum!)
60g sunflower seeds (I didn't add these. Pecans were enough crunch)
honey to serve
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and line the base of a 23cm loaf tin.
Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the eggs gradually, beating well after each addition. Stir in the bananas, nuts and seeds.
Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice (I didn't bother sifting), then fold into the banana mixture.
Spoon into the tin and bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 mins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. (Pfft, slice some and eat while warm!!!). Serve buttered and drizzled with runny honey.
I have been eating slices warmed for a moment in the microwave without anything on top. It's pretty moist already from all those mushy bananas. I made it on Sunday night and it's still delicious today. Have been storing it in an airtight container.
For more banana bread ideas, check out the banana bread bake off that Not Quite Nigella instigated. So many recipes!
*the book where this recipe comes from: Marie Claire - Breakfast
Although, it's pretty much cake, don't you think? Is it called bread to fool us into thinking we are eating something vaguely healthy? Hmm...
Anyway, I made a version of banana bread, modified from a breakfast recipe book. (A gorgeous book from marie claire* that was given to my partner by suzysiu.)
Banana, sunflower and pistachio bread
100g butter, softened
120g muscovado sugar (I just used dark brown sugar)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
500g ripe bananas, mashed (other recipes I've seen call for over-ripe almost black bananas... 500g worked out to be 4 medium 'nanas.)
250g/ 2 cups, self-raising flour
1tsp bicarbonate soda (baking soda)
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice (or you could just add some cinnamon and nutmeg)
100g shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped (I substituted pecans! yum!)
60g sunflower seeds (I didn't add these. Pecans were enough crunch)
honey to serve
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and line the base of a 23cm loaf tin.
Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the eggs gradually, beating well after each addition. Stir in the bananas, nuts and seeds.
Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice (I didn't bother sifting), then fold into the banana mixture.
Spoon into the tin and bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 mins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. (Pfft, slice some and eat while warm!!!). Serve buttered and drizzled with runny honey.
I have been eating slices warmed for a moment in the microwave without anything on top. It's pretty moist already from all those mushy bananas. I made it on Sunday night and it's still delicious today. Have been storing it in an airtight container.
For more banana bread ideas, check out the banana bread bake off that Not Quite Nigella instigated. So many recipes!
*the book where this recipe comes from: Marie Claire - Breakfast