Baking Delicious Banana Bread
Banana Bread
Banana Bread is one of those older recipes that has stood the test of time. It is a fact that I regularly buy banana's solely for the purpose of making this bread, as I wait for them to ripen and their flesh to become soft and sweet.
Banana Bread starts as a thick sweet batter crammed full of mashed bananas, coconut and ground almonds. For those who have a dislike or intolerance of coconut or nuts feel free to add any of the following;
- blueberries
- cranberries
to name but a few, let your imagination run wild. This is a”Quick" bread to make and deliciously nourishing.
When this Banana Bread is taken from the oven it has a golden crust and under that exterior is a wonderfully moist textured and sweet flavoured Banana Bread.
The Banana
The Banana is not a tree it is in fact the biggest herb in the world. It contains three natural sugars; sucrose, fructose and glucose. Each banana contains 16% fibre, 11% potassium, 6 vitamins, and 11 minerals. The banana is also 75% water.
There are many different varities of bananas and I intend to cover the six most popular varities that we eat as a nation;
Manzano Banana
This is a short chubby banana which has a mild strawberry-apple flavour. The Manzano skin turns black when ripe, it is much chunkier and heavier than the traditional banana we know. This banana is also known as the "Apple banana" and is grown in various locations;
- Asia
- Mexico
- Carribean
- Africa
- South America
Baby/Nino Banana
The Nino banana is appromimately 3" long.It has a creamy texture and a rich sweet flavour, the skin is bright yellow when ripe. This banana is a native of Colombia, and a rich source of vitamin B6.
Some ways in which this wee banana can be cooked are;
- baked
- broiled
- sauteed
- grilled
Burro Banana
The Burro banana is stubby, small and rectangular in shape with squared off ends in comparison to the Cavandish banana. When the Burro ripens the skin becomes yellow with black spots, its flesh is creamy white with a slight lemon tinge. This banana can be used to cook in all recipes
Red Banana
The Red banana is a hearty and slightly sweeter banana than the Cavendish yellow one. When this banana becomes ripe it will be deep purple almost black in appearance, its flesh is a pink/salmon yellow colour with a hint of raspberry to add to the flavour. This banana contains more beta carotene and vitamin c than the ordinary yellow banana.
Plantain Banana
The Plantain banana is starchy and low in sugar content. It has to be cooked before eating as it can't be eaten raw. This banana is a native of India and grows mostly in tropical climates, it is used in place of potatoes or pasta. It is green in colour and becomes almost black when ripened. The flesh of this banana is a creamy yellow with a hint of pink.
Cavendish Banana
The Cavendish banana is better known as the "Chiquita". It is yellow in colour when ripened. The banana is the most popular fruit in Britain, whether they are eaten fresh or used for other purpose such as;
- smoothies
- yogurts
- bread-making
- puddings
- custards
- muffins etc
The Greasing of your Loaf Tins
1. Melt butter and grease liberally
2. Put some flour into the tin and dust
3. The tin is now ready for the the batter
4. Banana Bread Batter
Banana Bread Recipe
This recipe makes 6 x 1lb Loaf Tins.
2 lb Self Raising Flour
8 oz Ground Almonds
8 oz Coconut
1 lb Caster Sugar
12 oz Butter
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
8 Bananas
8 Eggs
METHOD:-
1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
2. Add coconut, flour, nuts, eggs and B.Soda
3. Mix well
4. add bananas
5. turn into 6 x 1 lb loaf tins
6. cook at 160 degrees x 1hr until firm
