Banana Bread

What do you do with your dead bananas? There haven't been many soft brown skinned bananas at our house this year since a cyclone wiped out the entire Queensland crop and they have shot from $3 per kilo to $13 per kilo! We've helped keep someone in the lap of luxury this year though, as I've still been buying them, just not so many - and it's been a mortal sin to waste a banana that's worth about two bucks. :-)

Anyway, back to my topic, when we have dead bananas at our house I either make Banana Bread, or shove them in the freezer to make Banana Bread later! I made Banana Bread yesterday and thought I'd share the recipe with you. It's easy to make, but you just have to plan to make it because it takes a long time to cook.

First things first, preheat a slow oven (150C / 300F).
Then find yourself a loaf pan (23 x 12cm / 9 x 5 inch) and line it with lightly greased baking paper. If you don't line it, it will stick. If you don't have a loaf pan it doesn't really matter, I've used a small cake tin before.

INGREDIENTS

250g soft bananas (I use 2 big or 3 medium)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups self raising flour
2 eggs
60g butter or margarine, softened



In a cup mix the milk and the lemon juice.
It will go a bit thick and curdled like yogurt so don't panic if it looks weird!







Lightly beat the eggs. Mash the bananas. Sift the flour. I discovered a nifty way to sift flour a while back, just stir a hand whisk round and round in your flour container. I think it works just as well and you don't get flour everywhere which is what happens to me when I bang flour through a sieve into the bowl.










Put all the prepared ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine.
Then, beat the mixture for a couple of minutes. I use a wooden spoon but you can use a mixer if you prefer. Pour the batter into your prepared tin then pop it in the oven and bake for one and three quarter hours.

Now you've finished with the mixing bowl and spoon, I must tell you that there is some seriously good licking to be had - the batter is yummy!

When it's cooked, take it out of the oven and just leave it sitting in the pan for about ten minutes (don't ask me why). Then tip it out, peel off the paper and leave it to cool on a wire tray. When it's cold slice it up and serve plain or buttered. I've also tried a thin caramel icing on it which was really nice too.


Here it is in all its glory - Banana Bread. With gratuitous Hibiscus flower for prettiness. :-)
I might tell you that this particular loaf lasted exactly 15 hours and it only lasted that long because we were asleep for eight of those!