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 