Well, I really can´t believe it, but WordPress tells me that this is my 100th post. I still get a buzz from writing and posting, but equally I love to receive comments, to know that new friends “out there” are interested in what I have to say. I love that I have “met” so many interesting people with amazing blogs about all the things that interest me, the way we share tips and ideas, encourage each other to try new things and share little glimpses of our lives with each other. Thank you! You´re all invited over for coffee and cake…
I´m not a huge banana fan. I know they´re good for me and I sometimes force a really unripe one down before I go to the gym, and I don´t mind them in Banoffee Pie. But when they start to ripen even just a little bit, the smell really turns me off. Bizarrely I adore Banana Bread, so I have to overcome my feelings for overripe bananas and just get on with it.
When I first told Big Man (who is a huge banana fan but often responsible for forgetting to eat them and then leaving me with stinky overripe ones) I was making banana bread I got a very puzzled frown from him. Maybe it´s because I translated it literally to him as “Pan de Platano”… I´m not quite sure what he was expecting, but he´s now hooked and even brags about what a great delicacy it is to those poor unfortunates not in the know.
My recipe is on a scrappy piece of paper which is covered in grease and crumbs so I don´t know who to credit. I think it was one of those recipes passed from friend to friend with alterations on the way. It´s a recipe that always works for me, so without further ado, here it is.
Ingredients
½ cup of sultanas soaked in dark rum (or strong black tea) I usually heat this and let it cool while I make the cake
1 cup + 2 tablespoons of self raising flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup oil (I use olive oil)
½ cup sugar
2 large eggs
4 small ripe bananas mashed
¼ cup chopped nuts (I use almonds or walnuts)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Heat the oven to 180ºC and line either a large loaf tin or two small ones with greaseproof paper. Beat the oil and sugar together then beat in the eggs. Add banana, nuts, sultanas and vanilla and stir then gradually stir in the flour. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour (large tin) or about 45 mins (smaller tins).
And if you are a member of the Banana Fan Club, check out The Food Doctor´s incredible posts at Chef In Disguise which give some amazing ideas for using up those pesky little yellow fruits here, here and here. And thank you to Sawsan, alias Chef in Disguise for very kindly passing on the Blog On Fire Award to me recently. Honestly, this could all go to my head!
Chica Andaluza 
Yay..one more banana recipe for me to try..your banana bread looks so moist and I loved the idea of soaking sultanas in tea..I must try that one..
Thank you so much for the shout outs..you are truely too kind and congratulations on your award..you deserve it for this amazing blog you have here..I really love visiting your blog , the recipes, the adventures in spain and all the stories are amazing 🙂
Thank you, you´re very kind! Am having a lovely day with lots of nice messages..feel like it´s my birthday 🙂
Oh and I forgot..Congratulations on your 100th post..keep up the amazing job you are doing 🙂 next stop 1000th post 🙂
Well, I certainly have enough ideas for 1000 posts!
I feel exactly the same way about banana’s. Well done on your 100th post 🙂
Seems like there are quite of few of us out here who feel like this 🙂
I love milestones…any excuse to celebrate! (Just passed 1,000 comments on my blog – crack open a bottle of Tavel!)
Never thought of soaking the raisins (that’s ‘Merican for ‘sultanas’) in tea – will try it next time. Which should be in about 3 days, given the number of swiftly-ripening bananas on my counter…
Keep on blogging!
Your comment made me start thinking about raisins and sultanas, so I had to go and look up the difference (and not forgetting currants). Found this – interesting, I learnt something new so thanks for triggering the question!
100 posts!! Congratulations! the award was just on time!
Oooo…I like your banana bread recipe, esp the bit with the sultanas & rum – wicked! Oh, and I also only eat bananas if they are green, loathe the smell of very ripe bananas 🙂
Thank you – am so enjoying doing this. The rum really adds a little something, but tea is also good (especially Earl Grey) for the non drinkers.
The banana bread recipe looks really good, I’m going to have to try it. although I have to admit, I’m surprised you use olive oil in it.
I don´t often buy vegetable oil as we make our own olive oil and I have so much of it! It doesn´t add a strong flavour to the bread (you wouldn´t know it was olive oil) as there are so many other flavours going on. I´m sure vegetable oil would work just as well though. Thanks for the visit and comment, much appreciated!
Congratulations on #100 and for a well deserved blog award! I truly love reading your blog. I’ve learned some very new and different recipes from you and enjoy reading your posts about Spain and the building of your home! I feel as tho I’m transported to another area when I stop by to visit you! And, of course, I’d love to stop by for that banana bread and coffee. Rum soaked sultantas, oh yeah, I’m trying this one!
Oh thank you so much for your very lovely words – and they are totally reciprocated! Any time you´re in the neighbourhood…. 🙂
Congratulations on your 100th post – I am looking forward to the next 100.
Love the use of the rum soaked sultanas in your banana bread.
🙂 Mandy
Thanks Mandy – I´m looking forward to writing the next 100 too 🙂
I love banana bread and you’ve figured out a way to put rum in it? Keep up the good work! Congrats on your 100th post. I love your subject matter, your recipes, and your writing style. Yours is a favorite blog of mine, one that I enjoy daily
Thank you SO much! Am enjoying writing (and cooking and eating!) and of course being inspired by other wonderful blogs…like yours 🙂
Congrats on 100 posts, that’s wonderful. It’s always so fun to come here. Great recipe too, rum-soaked sultanas sound awesome. Like you I’m not huge on bananas, but the smell of banana bread is so wonderful.
Thanks so much! Seems like there is a legion of banana “indifferents” out there….I am not alone!
Keep the posts coming, else where will I find inspiration? (grin) And, don’t invite us over unless you mean it — I have a passport…
Oh, and if the bananas are really too ripe you can always put ’em out for the butterflies… they’ll happily help you out!
So, how does it feel to be 100? (I’m only 87…)
Ah thanks for the kind words! And how interesting about the butterflies…we have a few in our garden (I have a buddleia bush that they like) so will try this out to attract more. And if you´re ever in the area again….! Being 100 feels fabulous, I intend to age disgracefully 😉
Mmmmmm! Last winter I made banana muffins – it was D-Man’s first time eating a banana pastry too. 🙂
I made cornbread for Thanksgiving last year as well, which also came with odd looks from D-Man’s family, but because when they tried it, they said they wouldn’t necessary consider it “pan” but a kind of “tarta” due to its sweet flavor. Hmm, who could have guessed?
Congrats on your 100th blog post!! I think I’m only at #34 or so! 🙂
I think the concept of sweet bread is a little alien to Spanish tastebuds…but at least we have families who will give it a go! And thanks for the congrats – the posts will fly by for you and before you know it you´ll be a centenarian too 🙂
Congrats on your 100th post! I’m another of those who likes bananas green or just at the tipping point of yellow, then can’t stand them once they are fully ripe. I love to make banana bread out of them, and the really ripe ones make amazing smoothies with other fruits and a bit of yogurt, too. Cheers to you, and I enjoy your blog very much.
Thank you so very much for your lovely comment! Glad you enjoy the blog – just had a read of your frittata post….gorgeous!
An invite for cake and coffee….l’m on my way! Looks delicious by the way. Mrs Hunt is making Auntie Gail’s Sticky Teabread as we speak. Its lush. I’ll post the recipe one day.
I think I could grow to love your Aunite Gail!
Congratulations on your 100th post! The cake sounds as though it would be lovely with walnuts.
It is…I can vouch for it!
Congratulations on your 100th post and the Blog on Fire award! With this banana recipe you sent me back to my home country Honduras! We call it “Pan de Guineo”. I really enjoy your wonderful blog!!
Thank you so much – isn´t it funny that around the world we always have uses for leftovers or foods that would otherwise get thrown away..and a good thing too!
Congrats on your 100th post!
Your bread looks great!
Thank you – it´s all gone now 😦 will have to make more soon!
Happy 100th post!!!!! My husband says he hasn’t ever tried banana bread before… so I will be re-creating this recipe shortly for him!
Even banana haters (like me) seem to enjoy banana bread…and it´s such an easy one to make. Hope you both enjoy it!
Congratulations on the 100th post. I can’t wait to see what kind of cake we will have on your 200th post. I think the cake must be very good with the rum soaked sultanas and nuts in it. It’s funny that some people don’t like the smell of bananas. My mother doesn’t like the smell either.
Crikey – it will have to be something impressive I think! For me it is indeed the smell that puts me off…seems to be that way with a lot of people, very weird!
congratulations on your 100th post and winning over the big man with banana bread! seriously, how can anyone not know about banana bread?
I was stunned too…seems it is not something that has “hit” rural Spain in a big way yet! Am making it my mission to change this….
Yea! Congrats on your 100th post! This banana bread looks great!
Wow that means alot from the Queen of Baking…thank you!
Congrats on your 100th post and thanks for liking my post on patacones.
You´re welcome – it was good to learn something new from your post!
Hola, me he suscrito a tu Blog para poder leer tus interesantes posts. Asumo que llamandote Chica Andaluza hablarás español, no?. Mi familia y yo veraneamos en Cadiz.
Un saludo
¡Pues estoy my contenta de tenerte en mi “familia de blog”! Si, hablo español – mi marido es Granadino y no habla inglés, entonces he tenido que aprender muy pronto…todavia no he dominado completamente la idioma ¡y tanpoco el andalúz! pero, poquito a poco. Un saludo, Tanya
Jajajaja, ¡lo hablas-escribes muy bien!
Un saludo
¡Muchisimas gracias!
Just came across your blog and will have to go back and read older entries. Your banana bread looks delicious; I make it but haven’t tried soaking sultanas, or even using plain raisins. Wanted to mention that maybe the reason you don’t like bananas is because you’re eating them unripe. I could never choke one of those down; they’re horrible, but if you let them ripen, they are nice and sweet. You just have to get them before they get to the mushy stage.
Hi there and glad you like what you´ve sen so far! Good point re the bananas but if anything, I would rather eat them slightly unripe….it´s not so much the taste but the smell that gets me!
Nice recipe
I am definately going to try this next time. The last version of Banana Bread I made was the below and that was quiet nice also.
http://www.wascene.com/food-drink/delicious-banana-bread-recipe/
Thanks for Sharing.
Kari
Hi Kari and thanks for visiting. Will check out your recipe – it´s always good to have a few variations to hand!
I’m the same way with bananas, never liked them too much, but banana bread is a whole different story! 😉 Can’t wait to try this recipe out. Thanks so much for posting!
Thanks for “visiting” and I do hope you give it a go (and enjoy it, of course)!
I Like this recipe and I’ll try this recipe. looks so delicocius. when I saw the article recipe, I always want to try to cook it