Great Blog Bake Off - Tea loaf (banana bread)

My Great Blog Bake Off this week is a tea loaf of banana bread.  I choose banana bread as I had 6 ripe bananas in the fruit bowl.  Also it is a simple loaf to make this appealed to me as my arthritis in my hands is painful today, so no lifting of a heavy mixer was a bonus.

100g raisins

75ml toffee vodka
250g self-raising
Pinch of salt
1 level tsp baking powder
150g golden caster sugar
100g butter – softened
50g chopped pecans
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 small bananas (approx 475g)

                                   
Method

1 - Start by pre heating your oven to 170⁰C/gas mark 3.  Then lightly oil and line a loaf tin with baking parchment paper.

 

2 – Pour the toffee vodka & raisins into a small saucepan and simmer for 2/3 minutes, then set aside for 45 minutes to 1 hour till the raisins are all plump up.
 

3 – In a large bowl sift the flour, salt and baking powder, also the sugar, butter and nuts.  I used a pastry blender to make the texture to course breadcrumbs or you could use the traditional method of rubbing the mix between your fingers and thumb.

 

4 – In a small bowl add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk.  Then add the bananas and mash with a potato masher.  Once mashed add your now soak raisins (and any leftover vodka).

 

 

 

5 – Now back to your dry/flour bowl, make a well in the middle, pour in your banana mixture.  Gently stir all the ingredients together with a wooden spoon.  Once combined pour into your prepared loaf tin.  Smooth out the top of the mixture.  Now pop into the oven and bake for an hour to an hour and a quarter.  Check up skewering the centre of the loaf into the middle, if it comes out clean the loaf is cook.

 

6 – Allow to cool for about 5 minutes, then remove from the loaf tin.  Slice to serve with butter or toasted for breakfast or teatime treat.  

 

 

 

 

Sharing with your children optional!

 

 

 

 http://www.mummymishaps.co.uk/2013/09/apple-sultana-drizzled-buns.html#more-2384