BANOFFEE BREAD
Banana bread is textbook camping food. It lasts well and even tastes better the day after it is made, turning fudgy, denser and more intensely banana-y. Toasted, day-old banana bread makes for a heroic breakfast, is good for all the family and also goes particularly well with a cup of coffee.
Preparation 25 minutes, plus cooling Cooking about 55 minutes Makes 1 loaf
75G BUTTER, MELTED, OR 75ML SUNFLOWER OR VEGETABLE OIL 4 VERY RIPE BANANAS, MASHED, PLUS 1 EXTRA BANANA, SLICED, TO DECORATE
1 MEDIUM EGG, BEATEN
125G LIGHT BROWN SOFT SUGAR
40G 70% DARK CHOCOLATE, CHOPPED SMALL
1 PACKET OF CHOCOLATE-COATED SOFT CARAMEL SWEETS (ABOUT 7 OR 40G), CHOPPED SMALL
180G PLAIN FLOUR
1 TSP BICARBONATE OF SODA
4 DIGESTIVE BISCUITS, ROUGHLY CRUSHED
1 Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan) gas mark 3. Grease and line a 10 x 20cm loaf tin. If you’re using butter, melt it in a small pan over a low heat or use a microwave. Let it cool slightly but don’t let it solidify.
2 In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter (or the oil), mashed banana, beaten egg, light brown sugar, chopped chocolate, soft chocolate caramels and a pinch of salt. Add the flour and bicarbonate of soda, mixing briefly to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and evenly sprinkle over the crushed biscuits.
3 Bake for 45-50 minutes – checking towards the end of the cooking time and covering with a square of loose foil if the biscuits begin to get too dark – until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before turning out and leaving to cool completely.