Baking? Not necessarily the first topic I would arrive at when thinking about wellness but since lockdown has entered our lives it has been a real pillar in maintaining some form of normality for me and not to mention something to pass the time. I’m sure I can’t be alone in finding it really calming, especially when my mind insists on worrying about how and if things will ever go back to ‘normal’ again and the second realisation – do I really want them to?
In these moments where my mind tries to get the better of me, I have succumbed (several times), along with the rest of Instagram, to baking banana bread and can proudly say I have found the best recipe, if i do say so myself....
Disclaimer before we begin, unfortunately this is not dairy or gluten free and contains more sugar than any sensible person would feel comfortable with but I can confirm it is DELICIOUS. After all you know what they say, the proof isn’t in the pudding it’s in the eating!
What you’ll need…
140g of softened butter (this really helps in the long run trust me)
140g caster sugar
140g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs
3 large (preferably brown) bananas
Chocolate Chips (optional)
How you’ll do it….
Pre heat your oven to 180 C/ 160 fan / gas 4
Mash your bananas in a separate bowl
Either line the base and sides of a loaf tin with baking paper (easiest method for removing quickly when desperate to consume later) or smear with a little butter
Cream together the butter and caster sugar until the mixture goes pale, light and fluffy. Then slowly beat in the two eggs. The butter being soft really helps speed this process along and avoids chunks of the stuff flying out of the bowl (true story).
Sieve the flour into the mixture and fold in along with the baking powder
Stir in your mashed bananas and add those chocolate chips
Pour into the loaf tin and bake for 30 minutes. You’ll know its perfect when you can stick a sharp knife into the centre and it comes out clean (top tip, thanks mum!).
Other recipes say you need to remove from the oven and let it cool down completely before eating. I’ve never been one for rules so I say it's best eaten when you’re able to safely put it in your mouth without causing third degree burns.
Enjoy!
Char x