Flora Shedden recipe: Brown Sugar Banana Bread

The newest recipe from our weekly columnist, Great British Bake Off star Flora Shedden, is a fun recipe for the perfect comfort food: Brown Sugar Banana Bread

Its been a manic old week my end. The book is coming together nicely and I am spending most days writing or testing, then doing the dishes late into the night. Its both a rewarding and exhausting process.

When I spied a few brown bananas in the fruit bowl however I knew I wanted to make a simple banana loaf requiring very little effort and nothing more than a bowl and fork (yipeee on the washing up front!). This is my go to recipe and is so easily customizable, add chopped dark chocolate, chopped dried dates, some nuts or, as my mum always does, chopped glace cherries. Flaked almonds make a lovely addition to the top as well.

Don’t worry about the lumps of brown sugar in the batter, they will melt in the oven and become lovely and caramel like.

Ingredients

3 large over ripe bananas
150g sunflower or vegetable oil
75g caster sugar
100g dark brown sugar
200g self raising flour
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Serves: 2-4 Difficulty: Easy Time to cook: 50 mins

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin. In a bowl roughly mash two of the bananas with a fork (reserve the third on for the top).

Add the oil and caster sugar and use the fork to mix again. Once smooth add the brown sugar and mix. Don’t stress about lumps – this is a good thing.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix again using the fork until all the flour is combined. Pour into the prepared tin. Slice the third banana length ways and arrange on top.

You can sprinkle with a little demerara sugar at this stage too. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until springy to touch and a skewer comes out the centre clean.

Allow to cool completely before removing from the tin. I like to serve mine with a dollop of yoghurt and a little date molasses but it is equally as good toasted with butter or simply on its own.

The loaf will keep in an airtight tin for up to three days.

Find this and more recipes like it on Flora’s websitewww.florashedden.com/ and follow Flora on Twitter @florashedden

Like this? See also:

http://foodanddrink.scotsman.com/recipes/flora-shedden-recipe-chocolate-and-pecan-love-bars/

http://foodanddrink.scotsman.com/recipes/flora-shedden-recipe-mont-blancs/

http://foodanddrink.scotsman.com/recipes/flora-shedden-recipe-clementine-cake/