Banana binge

The humble banana is not just brimming with nutrients, but is high on the taste factor. This week, we bring you recipes using the fruit that is available all year through.

Banana bread

Ingredients:

360 gm banana puree
360 gm brown sugar
360 gm flour
4 eggs
100 gm condensed milk
100 gm curd
200 ml oil
14 gm baking soda
4 gm lemon zest
5 gm vanilla

Method:

Beat banana puree and brown sugar till sugar is well incorporated with puree. Add eggs to get a fluffy mix, followed by curd and condensed milk. Mix well. Mix all the dry ingredients together and add to the wet mix. Empty the mix into a clean and dry container and store overnight in fridge. Pour the mix into the desired mould and bake at 180ºC for 30 minutes. De-mould the bread once it has reached room temperature.

Banoffee pie

Ingredients:

For banana cream top
6 small bananas
300 gm double cream, lightly whipped
Juice of 1 lemon
50 gm grated chocolate
For the pie base:
125 gm icing sugar
200 gm butter
75 gm eggs
350 gm flour
For toffee caramel:
100 gm butter
100 gm brown sugar
400 gm
condensed milk

Method:

For pie base: Cream butter and icing sugar together till it becomes light and fluffy. Then add eggs gradually, finally add flour and mix. Don’t over mix. Chill this mixture for 30 minutes. Roll the dough out to 5 mm thickness, and put it in a pie mould. Bake the tart in a pre-heated oven for 8 to 10 minutes at 160ºC. Remove from oven and keep aside to cool.

For toffee caramel: Melt the butter and sugar in a non-stick saucepan over a low heat, stirring all the time until the sugar has dissolved. Add the condensed milk and bring to a boil. Stir well until thick and golden caramel colour. Spread the caramel over the pie base and allow to cool for about an hour.

For banana cream: Puree two bananas. In a saucepan cook the banana with sugar and lemon juice, stir well until thick. Allow to cool completely and add the whipped double cream.  

Assembling: Slice remaining four bananas and arrange on top of caramel stuffed pie, then carefully spread the banana cream on top of that, keep in a refrigerator for one hour. Garnish with grated chocolate and serve.

Banana and blueberry muffins

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana, mashed
4 tbsp butter, at room
temperature
½ cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup milk
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ cup dried blueberries

Method:

In a medium bowl cream butter and sugar. Add egg. Mix in bananas and milk. Sift together the flour, baking powder and ground cinnamon. Carefully fold in blueberries. If you are using frozen blueberries, fold them while they are still frozen or they will turn the batter purple. Dried blueberries do not need to be reconstituted before they are added. Fold in the flour-blueberry mixture into the banana mixture carefully, only until the batter is moist. Do not over mix.
Preheat oven to 190ºC. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling cups ¾ to the top. Top with one or two blueberries or chocolate sprinkles. Bake for 10-15 minutes until muffins are light golden brown.