I really do worship the person/being/entity that came up with the recipe for banana bread. It's one of very few recipes where you don't necessarily the best ingredients to make and in case of the key ingredient, the banana, actually the older it is the better. Use a barely ripe banana to make banana bread, you're more than likely to be left with a raw/bitter taste.
Over time, I've collected a few banana bread recipes and slowly I'm getting through them. I'm particularly fond of Bill Granger's banana bread studded with the choc chips throughout but for a classic banana bread recipe, here's one I tried out from Marie Claire's 'Kitchen' which I think is a rather easy one to use.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Do read through the whole recipe before you start. It's always good to check you have everything in the kitchen!
In a large bowl, combine 90g softened butter with 115g caster sugar. Add in 2 large eggs, one at a time. Add 1 tsp vanilla essence to the mix. Sift in 250g plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder and add 2 mashed large ripe bananas in conjunction with the grated zest of 1 orange. Fold together with a spatula.
Spoon into a greased and lined 8 x16cm loaf tin. Bake for 1 hour until the skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Makes 1 loaf.
Serve in slices with a good dollop of butter whilst warm.
Mum was the first to taste and she wasn't so sure about the added orange zest in the recipe. After tasting myself, I was in agreement, the orange zest seems to choke the fragrance of the bananas. If you are planning to try this recipe, I do recommend you omit the orange zest.
And well, I find that I do struggle a bit with my oven when I make loaves. The outer always seems to brown a bit too quickly whilst the inside has yet to cook. If you have any suggestions, I'd be glad to hear from you!
9 comments:
Some recipes say to cover with foil partway through cooking to stop too much browning. Then you remove the foil in the last 5-10 minutes of baking for the top to crisp up again.
Similar to what mademoiselle delicieuse said, ~10mins into baking, I cover the loaf with some baking paper or foil and puncture a few holes at the top and remove it in the last 10 mins to let the top brown and rise. Good luck trying it out x
Ditto mlle delicieuse's comment about the foil - I always have to cover my banana bread because the oven's too hot. And don't you love it toasted with lashings of butter - yum, wish I could have a piece now...
Banana bread is awesome!
Oh dear. Unfortunately I have set myself up for life, in regards to never eating a banana. My partner cannot stand the smell, sight nor taste of this wonderful fruit. Sadly, banana bread will never be able to grace the heat of my oven unless the boy decides to take a holiday without me.
ps, that'll never happen! lol
I love banana bread =D I havene't actually made banana bread much before because in our house, my mum's in charge of making banana bread. We have this recipe we found in some cookbook which she uses all the time, but it's funny because it turns out differently every single time! hehe....now I"m hungry for banana bread too! I expecially low the top of the banana bread- the crusty bit =]
mademoiselle delicieuse - i've covered with foil but never though to remove in the last 5-10 minutes to let the top crisp up again. thanks for the tip!!
mashi - thanks for the tip also! I've tended to just leave the foil on right till the end.
bel - what would i do without butter?!! and yes, my preference is always for banana bread to served with a generous dose of butter :)
missklicious - agree with you completely!
amy - aww....that shucks! but i guess there's so many ingredients to bake with, banana is just one of them :)
von - there's so many kinds of banana bread recipes and i know what you mean, each recipe turns out rather differently!
i just found your blog by chance and im so happy
cause i love sweets and want to learn how to make it
just wanted to say hi ^^
The Marie Claire banana loaf recipe is my favorite too although the one I have doesn't have the orange zest and includes grated dark chocolate or chic chips. I often add walnuts to mine just to add more texture.
You can't really go wrong with banana loaf as its so simple but I find using well ripened banana's and good quality butter/soft dark brown sugar/sponge flour/and of course free range eggs etc makes the loaf that much more tastier.
If you are ever in Melbourne you should go to the auction rooms and try their banana loaf, theirs is really light and fluffy and they serve it with a piece of coffee butter. It's so good!!!
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