Do you have some bananas that are starting to turn? Spotted a bargain bunch in the reduced section, or maybe even picked up a few 'over ripe' freebies...
If you have bananas that have started to go soft that no longer look enticing enough to peel and eat, don't throw them just yet! You can turn them into something totally delicious using just a few store cupboard ingredients.
The recipe makes approx. 1kg loaf of banana bread.
Ingredients
2 or 3 small - medium ripe bananas
240g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
50g caster sugar
90g butter
125ml milk
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 egg
tsp = teaspoon
Optional Extras
Chocolate Chips
Splash of vanilla essence
Anything extra you want to add!
You will need
Mixing bowl
Measuring jug
Large Spoon for mixing
Fork for mashing
sieve (if you have one, otherwise don't bother!)
1kg loaf tin (or anything similar)
Wire rack for cooling
Method
Preheat oven to 180-190°c.
Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl, then stir in the sugar. Don't worry if you haven't got a sieve... just go without.
Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until well combined. 💡 TIP! You might want to soften the butter a little in the microwave if taking straight from the fridge (soften - not melt!)
Use a measuring jug to measure the milk, then dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the milk. Add to the flour mixture.
In the same (now empty) measuring jug, mash the bananas - just use the back of a fork and keep squashing the bananas until the juices are extracted and it turns into a mush! Add the banana to the flour mixture.
Crack an egg into the now empty measuring egg and whisk with the fork. Add to the flour mixture.
Stir in any extras such as chocolate chips, vanilla essence...
Use a little extra butter (or oil) to line your loaf tin to prevent the mixture from sticking (really helps to get the loaf out of the tin) then pour the mixture into the loaf tin.
Bake in the oven 180-190°c for approx. 45-50 minutes until cooked when tested - until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Turn out onto a wire rack to cool (may have to run a knife around the edges to loosen from the tin).
This banana bread is also great for freezing. If you have too much for one serving of banana bread, you can always slice it, portion it up and pop it in the freezer! Great for kids lunch boxes too.