I have a funny relationship with bananas.  That sounds really bad, doesn’t it!  I go through phases of absolutely hating them and that’s a pretty unusual thing for me as, generally, I’ll eat anything as long as it doesn’t contain lentils!  Sometimes I get cravings for them and I think I like them again, so I start putting them on the supermarket order.  I was going through a liking them phase and I was doing so well, taking one to work each day for my mid-morning snack when I decided I didn’t like them again.  I don’t know why this happens, I think it’s because bananas turn so quickly.  Is anyone else getting images of gangster bananas hiding in dark alleyways waiting to get you, no, just me?!

Anyway, this meant there was a large bunch of bananas in the fruit bowl getting gradually browner and less appetising by the day so I had to rescue them – I hate throwing food out.  I also read somewhere, bound to have been when stumbling around the internet, that you can freeze bananas in their skins for cake making at a later date – so I’m experimenting, I’ll let you know how it goes.   This rescue comes in the form of banana and walnut loaf.

You will need:

125g unsalted butter,

140g soft brown sugar,

2 medium eggs,

2 bananas (about 200g), mashed up,

225g self-raising flour,

60g chopped walnuts.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F and grease and line a loaf tin.  Mix together the butter and sugar in a large box until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until well combined.  Add the flour and beat until smooth.  Mash the banana and add to the mixture, it will be a bit lumpy now, don’t worry! Add the chopped walnuts and mix in.

Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and tap the tin gently to disperse any air bubbles in the mixture.  Cook for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when you poke it in the middle that should stop the bananas from being bad.  Leave it in for 10 minutes to cool before turning out onto a wire rack.

We had it for dessert with custard, yum!