Posts tagged banana

Banana and Blueberry Bread

March 7, 2015 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

How on earth we are already in March I don’t know?! I began the year with a triumphant new years ambition to develop my humble blog, challenge my culinary skills and pepper it with new recipes. However due to a number of unexpected hurdles over the past months this hasn’t been actioned as much as I’d like! With a very busy and eventful week at work under my belt and a browning bowl of bananas sitting provocatively on the kitchen table I thought of nothing better than to create the comforting, warming and homely delights of a banana bread loaf to scoff with tea. Studded with crunchy pecans and soft sharp blueberries it is delicious eaten alone or toasted with ice cream. I love the use of muscovado sugar in this recipe which was a deviation from my usual (and reliable) recipe using a more refined caster sugar. But its treacle like flavour and depth adds a decadent dimension to this classic.

Makes 1 loaf or 4 mini loaves

250g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
125g softened butter
235g muscovado sugar
400g ripe bananas (about 4 )
1tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
100g blueberries
50g chopped pecans
1-2 tbsp demerara sugar
½ tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line 1 x 400g loaf tin or 4 small loaf tins
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and muscovado sugar until creamy and fluffy.
Gradually beat in the eggs, bit by bit.
Mash the bananas with a fork in another bowl and add the vanilla extract. Combine thoroughly with the butter and sugar mixture.
Sieve the flour and baking powder over the mixture and fold in to combine.
Gently fold in the blueberries and pecans until evenly distributed
Spoon the mixture into the lined tins.
Scatter the top with a generous dusting of ground cinnamon and then top with the crunchy demerara sugar to create a nice crust.
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes for the small tins and around 50 minutes for a large loaf tin. Check after 30 minutes regardless and remove from the oven when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Leave to cool in their tins and then remove.
Slice and serve layered with cinnamon mascarpone, yoghurt or warm with ice cream.

Banana and Cardamon Loaf

June 25, 2014 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

This is my go-to banana loaf recipe for when those bruising and sweetly turning bananas are slowing deteriorating in the fruit bowl, unaware of their potential. This loaf is easy to knock out and can be kept for a while in the cake tin. Here I’ve added the beautifully pungent ground cardamon but this can be left out or substituted.

I love banana loaf as its one of those ‘cakes’ that is less restricted by Paul and Mary’s dreaded ‘science’ of baking. This recipe for example only has one egg in the entire mixture but still manages to set with a lovely rich texture. The recipe is therefore hugely open to adaptation and I change mine practically every time. Try these little additions which I’ve done in the past:

Ground cardamon, cinnamon or ginger
Replace hazelnuts for your classic walnut
Add chunks of chocolate chips
Add a handful or desiccated coconut
Add a decadent molten layer of peanut butter/salted caramel/Nutella inside
Top the mixture with a crumble mixture before baking
Soak the bananas in rum for a bit…

Makes 1 loaf (Taken from Delia Smith’s ‘All in one Banana Loaf’ with a few adaptations)

75g butter, softened
110g caster sugar
1 large egg, beaten
225g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cardamon (or other spice of choice)
4 ripe bananas, mashed
70g hazelnuts, toasted and chopped roughly.
Handful demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a loaf tin with parchment.
Place the butter, sugar and egg in a food processor and combine (or use an electric hand whisk)
Sieve over the flour, spices and baking powder and combine (don’t worry if it looks dry!)
Add the bananas to the processor and combine until you have a smooth and creamy batter.
Stir through the nuts (or any chocolate chips, coconuts additions etc)
Pour into the loaf tin and sprinkle generously with the demerara sugar (or crumble) to create a nice crunchy topping. (If adding a layer of peanut butter/caramel etc, add half the batter to the tin, dot with the chosen filling and then spoon on the remaining batter to cover before baking)
Bake for 50-55 minutes until cooked.
Leave to cool in the tin before removing and slicing

Gorgeous sliced, toasted and layered with cinnamon butter

Banana and Brown Sugar Ice Cream

July 25, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

While banana bread or my banana muffins (see here) are my go-to for any over-ripe, senescent bananas aging ungracefully in the fruit bowl, this is another alternative idea for their use. Additionally, I always freeze any really ripe bananas that won’t get eaten in time so if, like me, your freezer is also always stacked with frozen bananas then they can be used here too! This is another David Lebovitz recipe as he really is the king of the perfect scoop! I’ve just made a basic banana recipe here but next time (and there will be a next time as its so good) I think I’ll try adding some extra flavours which are endless here. See NOTE below for details or ideas but if you’re a banoffee pie fan then this base recipe would be a great start.

600g very ripe bananas (fresh or frozen)
135g light brown soft sugar (or dark brown for a deeper flavour)
500ml coconut milk
1 tsp dark rum
Pinch salt
½ tsp vanilla

Heat the brown sugar with about ¼ of the coconut milk in a pan until smooth and simmering. If using fresh bananas, cut into small-ish chunks and add to the mixture with a pinch of salt. If using frozen, allow to thaw slightly until soft but not sloppy and crumble or chop in.
Stir and cook to soften the bananas for a few minutes
Add the rum and vanilla and then puree the mixture in a processor until smooth. Chill
Churn in an ice cream maker for about 30 minutes until set

NOTE: This recipe would be great with anything added too. The options are endless but a few ideas include:

Grated coconut
Rum soaked raisins
Swirl in a few tablespoons of peanut butter
Any form of toasted nuts e.g. brazils, hazelnuts, walnuts
A swirl of toffee sauce and some crushed biscuits for an authentic ‘banoffee’ pie ice cream

Banana and Coconut Flapjacks

February 28, 2013 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

Whenever my fruit bowl is harvesting some compost worthy bananas I peel and bag them and shove them in the freezer ready when I need them when banana bread calls. So, never throw your poor bruised bananas in the bin, stick them in the freezer….consequently mine is full of bags of random bananas. I always make my standby banana and walnut loaf but with a hankering for something new this time, I tried whacking them into my flapjack recipe…..! I dabbled with the idea of ‘banoffee flapjacks’ but with a hate of banoffee pie, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. But if you’re a fan, a handful of toffee or a drizzle of caramel on top would probably be your best bet.

130g unsalted butter
50g golden syrup
50g soft light brown sugar
250g oats
50g dessicated coconut
2 ripe bananas, mashed
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch ground ginger

Line a baking/brownie tin with parchment and preheat the oven to 180°C.
Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan until melted and glossy.
Whisk in the mashed banana and the spices (as liberally as you like)
Tip in your oats and coconut and stir to combine before pouring into the lined baking tin. Bake for about 25-35 minutes. They should be golden on top and still soft. The banana will keep them from drying out like some flapjack recipes.

Banana Muffins with a Boozy Rum Icing

October 17, 2012 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

In honour of ‘The Great British Bake Off’, my friends and I decided to bake a wholesome feast to devour during the entertainment that was John, James and…..Brendan? Suffocating in the smells of freshly baked goods in my Clifton garden flat, I knocked out a batch of these forever pleasing muffins and added a cheeky little extra topping. I used to make these every weekend when I ran my own breakfast menu at ’The Food Gallery’ (Marlborough) over the summer. They proudly topped my menu (minus the rum icing) served with creamy Greek yoghurt and some sweet, sticky local honey so I confirm, they certainly make a delicious start to the day too! However, tonight called for a little added sparkle so I decorated with some rum cream cheese frosting and walnut praline……

TIP: If you ever have too many bananas turning brown and sugary in your fruit bowl- don’t throw them away! I always peal mine and freeze them in a sandwich bag. Then they are ready to hand and at the perfect ripeness for when baking calls. Bring them out to defrost a little before you use them- they may go all slimy and unappetising looking but I assure you they will taste and bake perfectly!

Makes 10-12 rugby player sized muffins (adapted from Waitrose recipes)

125g unsalted butter, softened
225g light brown muscavado sugar
4 very ripe bananas (300g)
2 free-range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Large pinch cinnamon/mixed spice
250g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
75ml buttermilk
50g crumbled toasted walnuts or pecans

Rum Icing

300g cream cheese
150g icing sugar, sieved
A pinch of cinnamon/mixed spice
A splash of rum

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a muffin tin with cases.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl.
Add the mashed bananas, vanilla and eggs and mix
Fold in the flour, spices, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder.
Now add the buttermilk and stir thoroughly. Add the walnuts and mix until they are evenly distributed.
Generously fill the muffin cases and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, checking after about 20 to make sure they are not browning too much.
Meanwhile, make the icing. Cream the cream cheese, spices and sieved icing sugar together. Add a splash of rum and mix. Chill in the fridge to harden until needed.
When the muffins are ready, they will be soft and springy to the touch and a sharp knife inserted into the centre will come out clean. Leave to cool completely.
Once cool, top with icing and decorate with a halved walnut and some walnut praline if you like. The praline I made by melting caster sugar in a dry frying pan until melted and beginning to turn golden. Once it is a pale light colour, remove from the heat and pour quickly and thinly over crumbled walnuts on some baking paper and leave to cool and crisp. Break into shards and top the muffins!