Banana bread

I’m sure that at the moment we all have stories we can tell about people who are doing something to help in these difficult times. Whether it’s looking out for neighbours who need extra support, putting themselves in front of the public everyday as they keep a food store open or just in general working to keep peoples spirits up. Whatever it is it’s important and I’d like to think that whenever we do reach the point of what the new normal is going to be that we can carry some of this spirit into it.

One of the people doing something extra that I’m most grateful for is the landlady of our local pub. Within 24 hours of the lockdown bringing her normal business to an end she’d opened a fruit and veg stall on the carpark and it’s been there everyday since. There’s a great range on offer and with social distancing being observed it’s wonderful to be able to shop outside rather than have to venture into a store. It’s almost as if you can imagine farmers markets were still open.

I’ve been going a couple of times a week and on yesterdays trip one of my purchases was a big bag of bananas. It was only when I got home that I realised just how big, as I counted out ten into the fruit bowl. That’s far more than we’re ever going to eat just as fruit, but never fear Ive already baked banana bread with some and tomorrow we’re indulging in my childhood favourite of bananas and custard.

If life gives you a glut of bananas incorporating some into bread is a great way to use them up. This one is particularly good as the seeds and demerara give it a crunchy topping. The recipe makes one large loaf or can be split to make two smaller ones.

Ingredients for the cake

• 100g soft butter
• 150g muscovado sugar *
• 200g self raising flour
• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 eggs
• 2 bananas – mashed

Ingredients for the topping

• 25g pumkin seeds 
• 25g sunflower seeds
• 1tbsp demerara sugar *

Method

• Grease and line either one 900g tin or two 450g. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4
• Measure the butter, muscovado sugar flour and bicarb into a bowl, add the eggs and banana and whisk with a hand held food mixer until combined. Pour the mixture into the tin and sprinkle the seeds and demerara sugar across the top.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. It should be risen and golden and a skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.
• Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes that tip onto a wire rack.

* Any sugars will work in this recipe. I just picked these two as I believe they add the most flavour.