Tag: Recipe

May 2nd: The World’s Most Delicious Banana Bread!

Here’s a fab little recipe to get your week on track!

Over the weekend, we had a very sad looking bunch of bananas that begun ripening way too quickly before we could even contemplate eating them! Boo!

So what better excuse than to use the best Banana Bread recipe that I’ve come across in years! (A highly subjective opinion of course!!) And big bonus: It tastes great too!! It’s super dense and moist, rich in flavour and colour and is surprising (and quite satisfyingly) crunchy around the edges!

This recipe has been sourced from one of my favourite baking books…

Baking Day by The Australian Women’s Weekly.

BananaBread1

Here’s what you’ll need…

1 cup of mashed (overripe) banana (I used four smallish bananas but you can use two larger ones)

1 cup (220g) of brown sugar

2 eggs

40g (1.5 ounces) of melted butter

1/2 cup (125ml) of buttermilk (use full cream milk as an alternate)

1/4 cup (90g) of treacle (you can also use golden syrup or honey)

1.5 cups (225g) of plain/all-purpose flour

1 cup (150g) of self-raising flour

2 teaspoons of mixed spice

1 teaspoon of bi-carb soda (baking soda)

And now to make…

First, preheat your oven to 180C or 350F. Grease a 14cmx21cm (5.5″x8.5″) loaf tin and then line it with baking paper, extending it about 5cm (2″) over the sides.

Next, combine the mashed banana, brown sugar, both eggs, the melted butter and buttermilk as well as the treacle in a large bowl.

Gently sift both of the flours, the mixed spice and bi-carb soda over the wet ingredients and stir them together. Try not to over mix – the lumpier the better!

Carefully pour the batter into the pre-prepared tin and place it into the oven to bake for about 1 hour.

Leave the bread in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack so that it can cool.

This hearty banana bread can be served as is or toasted with a dollop of butter and accompanied with a hot cup of tea!

Serves 10-12 (depending on how generous you cut your slices!)

Happy Baking, Friends!

xx

September 9th: Baking Day!

Happy Hump-Day!

We’ve made it to the middle of the week and now we’re on the down-hill to the weekend! Yay!!!

Today I thought I would share with you a most beloved and favourited recipe of mine that I absolutely love to bake as the warmer Spring days slowly come back into our lives!

And that recipe is… Shortbread! Usually, I make it with a good handful of orange zest, but today I was feeling brave and choose to see how well it tastes with lemon zest instead! (Oh!! The fresh sweet smell of lemon filling my kitchen was just simply devine!) By adding the lemon or orange zest, it will just give the Shortbread a lovely subtle fresh fruity flavour that will make you go back for more and more!

So here’s how to make this delicious and fail-safe Lemon Shortbread!

You will need:

LemonShortbreadIng.

To make:

Begin by preheating your oven to 150C/300F/gas2. Then butter well a square slice tin measuring about 22cm or 9″.

Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream them together using a wooden spoon until it looks light and fluffy.

LemonShortbreadButter

Add the plain flour, cornflour and lemon zest to the buttery mixture and gently fold them together with your spoon. Then get your clean hands into the bowl and mix until you have a lovely smooth dough.

LemonShortbreadDough

Place the dough into your buttered tin and press it evenly throughout the tin and into the corners using your fingers. (The rougher looking the better!) Before popping it into the oven, grab a fork and prick the surface all over.

LemonShortbreadTin

Place it into the oven for about 50 minutes until the top of the Shortbread is looking lightly golden brown.

While the Shortbread is still oven warm, cut it evenly into squares and sprinkle a generous amount of caster sugar over the top.

This Shortbread is best enjoyed with a lovely hot cup of tea!

LemonShortbread

LemonShortbreadTea

Recipe adapted from one by Jamie Oliver called ‘The Best Shortbread in the World’ from his book, Cook With Jamie, published in 2006.

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Let me know if you’re going to give this recipe a go! Even if you’re not the best chef in the kitchen, this Shortbread is insanely easy to make and just as easy to eat as well!!

Happy Baking, Friends!!

xx