Banana Bread

Banana bread is one of those comforts foods that is easy to make. I never made it until recently, motivated by the nagging of my 17-year old who was so bored during the corona quarantine that she wanted to bake. I researched many recipes on YouTube and ended up with a combined version of Tessa Kiros’ recipe from Apples for Jam and my mother’s method.

INGREDIENTS

125 g(4½ oz) butter

180 g(6½ oz/1 cup) dark brown sugar

350 g(12 oz/3 or 4 medium) ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

A pinch of salt

250 g(9 oz/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

½ cup sour cream, mascarpone, or plain full-fat yogurt.

A handful of chocolate chips (optional)

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4) and butter a 30 × 11 cm(12 × 4 inch) loaf tin.

Put all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, and set aside.

In another bowl, mash the bananas, then add the eggs, vanilla, melted butter, yogurt, and whisk all together well. Add the dry ingredients in batches and mix everything together until the batter is smooth but not perfect.

Scrape the mixture into the tin, sprinkle the chocolate chips on top if using, and bake for about one to one and a half hours, until the bread is crusty on the top and a knife poked into the middle comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack to cool.

Serve warm or cold, plain or toasted with butter, but allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container, where it will keep well for several days.

A totally different version which I also love