Banana bread is a wonderful breakfast treat, at least I think it is. It's beautiful toasted and smothered with chocolate spread or peanut butter, or simply eaten on its own with a cup of coffee. This recipe is very easy to make and doesn't take a lot of hard work, the electric whisk does most of it for you. I've added coffee and pecans to my banana bread recipe because I think they really enhance the flavour. Coffee is everything, need I say any more? Pecans, likewise. They are my favourite of all nuts and I won't hear otherwise!
Serves 12
Hands-on Time 15 minutes
Baking Time 50-55 minutes
Ingredients
150g (plus extra for greasing) Unsalted butter (softened)
3 Ripe bananas, large (or 4 medium)
75g Caster sugar
100g Light brown sugar
2 Eggs, large
1 tsp Vanilla extract
225g Self raising flour
½ tsp Salt
1 tbsp Instant coffee powder (fine)
50g Pecan nuts
Equipment
2lb Loaf tin
Scissors
Baking parchment
Large mixing bowl
Fork
Electric whisk
Chopping board
Knife
Spatula
Skewer or cake tester
Wire rack
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C(Fan)/350°F/Gas mark 4.
Lightly grease the loaf tin.
Cut a strip of baking parchment to line the sides and bottom of the tin, allow some overhang to help you lift the bread out when it has baked.
Peel 2 of the bananas (or 3 if you hare medium sized ones) and place into the mixing bowl.
Mash using the fork until they are broken up.
Using the whisk, beat the mashed banana until you have a smooth puree-like mixture.
Add the sugar and 150g of butter to the banana and mix.
Add the eggs and vanilla and mix again. You may find the mixture is a little grainy at this point, don’t worry, it will come together when you have added the flour.
Add the flour, salt, and coffee powder and mix again until combined.
Clean the mixture from the whisk and set it aside.
Chop the pecans into small pieces and add to the mixture.
Fold the nuts in using the spatula, before spooning the mix into the loaf tin.
Spread the mixture into the corners of the tin so that it’s nice and smooth.
Peel the remaining banana and slice it in half, length-ways.
Place both halves, cut side up, on top of the mix and press down gently.
Pop the tin into the oven onto a middle shelf and bake for 50-55 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when inserted.
Remove the tin from the oven and leave the loaf to rest for 15 minutes.
Lift the bread out of the tin using the parchment and rest on a wire rack until it completely cooled.
The banana bread can be eaten as it is, or sliced, toasted, and smothered with chocolate hazelnut spread or peanut butter!
Enjoy!
