…can it really be the longest day? I try hard to avoid the thought, put into words on TV this morning, ‘Well, it’s all down hill from now on!’ Nooooo…
But I’m getting excited now. This weekend We are off to the the South Coast, near the New Forest, to stay for the weekend. It will be a family party, to include little boys – and Higgins – so it’s going to be fun! And as it’s an early birthday celebration for me, I am, wait for it … not allowed to do any cooking !!! WOW! (I’m just hoping that doesn’t mean I have to do all the washing up!)
But, I’m sure that doesn’t mean I can’t slip a cake or two into the coolbox to take with us, and I do have a banana problem. Why do they apparently leave the shop green, and within the space of (it seems) a day they look like this?
But I have my trusty Michael Barry recipe to help out on these occasions…
(You can always tell a good recipe book by it’s disgusting appearance and grease splattered pages. This one is twenty years old and some pages have to be prised apart…oh dear!)
However, I will pass my version this banana-y goodness on to you to use if you are ever similarly affected by a glut of squidgy-ness.
Banana Bread
Makes 1 loaf
Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 350 deg F (180C)
8oz (225g) SR Flour
4oz (100g) butter
5oz (150g) golden granulated sugar
1lb (450g) bananas (the gooier the better, peeled and
mashed)
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
100g Silver Spoon chocolate chips
Method
Mix all the ingredients except the chocolate chips together, in a food mixer or by hand in a bowl with an electric whisk. When it’s thoroughly mixed, add the chocolate chips. Pour into a 2lb loaf tin, I line it with a strip of baking parchment, and bake for between an hour and an hour and a half. The loaf is done when a skewer pushed into it comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
The chocolate chips are a real indulgence, I often use up ends of bags of assorted dried fruits, cherries, nuts in this recipe and you could add some mixed spice, no two cakes are ever the same! It keeps well too, if it’s allowed to!
Oh those magic words…NO COOKING….I enjoy cooking, but it is bliss to have someone else doing it occasionally!
Have a lovely time.
That’s the banana cake recipe I use too-copied it out many years ago- a real winner.
As my Dad ALWAYS used to say on June 21st…”that’s it, the nights are drawing in now!”
Jane x
I just know that my OH will tease me about ‘downhill to Christmas now’ because he knows I hate it. Have a marvellous weekend Penny with the children and Higgins; who looks after Henry?
Have a great weekend Penny – hope the sun continues to shine for a little bit longer yet!
Hello Penny!!!
It was the shortest day here yesterday wheeeeee!!! Uphill from now on!
My mum saw ducklings, can you believe it???!!!
That banana loaf looks delish
Love Alice XXX
p.s that rose looks divine… beautiful colour and beautiful vibe, I bet it smelled amazing! :OD
I like the look of that cake, good that it keeps as well.