Tuesday 1 September 2009

Banana Tea Bread

Banana Bread 39b

I had my eye on the banana bread recipe in 'How To Be a Domestic Goddess' for a while before I got round to baking it. The original recipe required rum or bourbon, which I don't keep, so I went on the Nigella forum asking for suggestions for a replacement. One forumer in the Middle East replied that until she got her alcohol licence she just soaked the sultanas in tea. "Of course!" I thought. I have a tea loaf recipe that I've made time and time again which requires you do the same and the tea gives it a lovely flavour. Using tea instead of rum/bourbon makes this a very affordable recipe and I confess to actively checking out the reduced section of the supermarket for reduced overipe bananas purely to make this.

And the all-important factor is that my two men love this. I like it toasted with butter as breakfast, JT gets it just plain at any time of the day and Daddy likes a slice buttered in his lunchbox. It would make a great dessert too, slightly re-heated with a scoop of ice-cream.

Banana Bread (3)b

BANANA TEA BREAD

Ingredients:

100g sultanas
A cup of strong hot black tea
175g Plain Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
125g unsalted butter, melted
150g sugar*
2 large eggs
4 small, very ripe bananas (about 300g weighed without skin), mashed
60g chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
23 x 13 x 7cm loaf tin, buttered and floured or with a paper insert

Serving Size : Makes 8–10 slices

Method:

1. Put the sultanas into a smallish bowl and pour over the hot tea. All the sultanas should be covered. If there's not enough tea just add some more boiling water. Set aside while you go ahead with the rest.

2. Preheat the oven to 170ÂșC/gas mark 3.

3. Put the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt in a medium-sized bowl and, using your hands or a wooden spoon, combine well.

4. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and sugar and beat until blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the mashed bananas. Then, with your wooden spoon, stir in the walnuts and vanilla extract. Drain the sultanas and stir them in too. Add the flour mixture, a third at a time, stirring well after each bit.

5. Scrape into the loaf tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 1–11/4 hours. When it’s ready, an inserted toothpick or fine skewer should come out cleanish. Leave in the tin on a rack to cool, and eat thickly or thinly sliced, as you prefer.



*I have made this with caster, granulated and brown sugar and there is little difference. I found that using granulated provided a slightly cumblier texture.



Banana Bread (16)


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4 comments:

  1. I know it tastes good, just have to see if I can make it myself.

    Someone I know has been waiting patiently for this recipe.

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  2. Great choice with kids, and very versatile. To be really indulgent, I like it toasted, buttered and with honey

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  3. david loves this! its his favourite cake! he thinks its healthier than other cakes because its called banana bread! ; )

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  4. Finally got round to trying this - yum!! I think I put in a bit too much banana, the loaf was a little too moist, but it still tastes good a week later! (The only reason it's still around a week later is that the other half doesn't like sultanas- oh well, all the loaf for me....) :)

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