Banana Bread

Bananas! They're like a household staple, my lazy last minute snack box item, a guilt-free hunger buster or a pre-exercise re-energiser. Every time we're at the shops, there will always be a bunch or sometimes bunches of banana in our shopping trolley. And in our fruit bowl, a display of bananas in different shades of green, yellow and... spotty dotty browns.

So every now and then, when there's a spotted banana or two, I always throw them together in a loaf. And it's great when you yearn something freshly baked, because it is just so quick and so easy. This recipe is one of Curtis Stone's, and isn't full of the usual butter and cream. Once you have tried this, I am sure you will be hooked, like I have!



Banana Bread
Recipe by Curtis Stone

250g self raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
150g caster sugar
125ml vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
3 overripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 tbsp Greek style yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g walnuts, roasted and roughly chopped

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Grease and line the base and sides of an 8cm x 11cm x 30cm loaf pan.

2. Sift all dry ingredients into a bowl.

3. With an electric mixer, whisk eggs and sugar on high speed until thick and pale. Reduce speed to medium, and drizzle in olive oil in a slow steady stream. Add bananas, yogurt and vanilla and beat until well combined. Fold through flour mixture and half of the walnuts.

4. Pour into prepared pan, and scatter the rest of the walnuts on top.

5. Bake in preheated oven for about an hour, until skewer comes out clean.

6. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

7. Serve warm, thickly sliced.



I love the method of emulsifying the oil in the egg mixture, as you would in making mayonnaise. It gives the cake a lovely fluffy texture, not too heavy or dense. The trouble with this is that you always end up having another slice, and another! Mmmm... the aromas emanating from the oven is almost as good as the flavours for this banana bread, and you can guess what's for brekky tomorrow. If it doesn't get wolfed down piping hot from the oven for supper that is!

Happy weekend everyone!