Banana loaf
By Ally Mcgrath of Osso Restaurant in Peebles If those over-ripe bananas have been languishing in the fruit bowl for too long, don’t bin them! This recipe is the ideal way to use up bananas when they’re a few days past their best. Enjoy this banana loaf plain, or jazz things up by topping it with chocolate icing. Put the kettle on, cut off a generous slice, and enjoy…
Osso opened in Peebles in December 2007, with an ethos that remains unchanged to this day: exciting food, big flavours, reasonable prices and, of course, happy customers. Osso is the only restaurant in the Scottish Borders to hold a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide for “exceptionally good food at moderate prices” – an award which the 36-cover restaurant has retained since 2011.
For more information visit www. ossorestaurant.com
Serves: 8
INGREDIENTS
For the banana loaf:
270g soft light brown sugar 200g ripe bananas, mashed 2 eggs
280g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp ground ginger
140g unsalted butter, softened For the chocolate icing: 300g icing sugar sifted 100g unsalted butter, softened 40g cocoa powder, sifted
40g whole milk
METHOD:
For the banana loaf:
1 Preheat the oven to 170°C or Gas Mark 3.
2 Place the sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
3 Add the mashed bananas and the eggs and mix well. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix again.
4 Line a 20cm cake tin or a 21x12cm loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
5 Pour the mixture in to the lined tin and smooth the top off.
6 Bake in the preheated oven for an hour. After an hour, check the loaf by inserting a small knife or skewer into the centre. If it comes out clean, the loaf is ready. Let the cake cool slightly on a wire rack before removing it from the tin. For the chocolate icing:
1 Beat the icing sugar, butter and cocoa powder together in a freestanding electric mixer, on a medium to slow speed setting, until the mixture starts coming together.
2 Slowly add the milk in small amounts. Once all the milk is added, increase the speed to full, and beat until the icing is light and fluffy.
3 Using a spatula, spread the chocolate icing generously on top of the banana loaf, and serve.