One of my Monkeys (sorry, Kids) will not touch a banana with the slightest sign of ripeness. The other, won’t even eat bananas.

Squishy Bananas – “to throw, or not to throw, that is the question?”

Rather than chuck soft blackened bananas in the trash, I’ve come up with a way to magically transform them into something so delicious that even my resident banana hater will consume it and ask for more

The solution to the squishy banana problem? Fresh baked Banana Walnut & Honey Loaf

It’s fun to make and even more entertaining, if you can rope the banana agnostic into making it with you. What’s more it only takes 20 minutes to prepare, excluding baking time

Ingredients

The Essential Ingredients

• A couple of regular very soft peeled bananas
• 3 oz Butter
• 7 oz of Plain Flour, 1.5 tsp of Baking Powder, a 1/2 tsp of Salt (if you are in the UK, all you need is 7 oz of Self Raising Flour – although it exists in the US, its hard to find in stores)
• 1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
• 3 oz Soft Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp Honey (I use Mexican Desert Mesquite Honey but use something local if in the UK)
• 2 x Eggs
• 6 Oz Golden Raisins (Sultanas in the UK)
• 4 Oz Walnuts – chopped
• A pinch of salt

The 4 main stages of preparing the Cake Mix

Method

• Mix the flour, soda and salt in a bowl, then mix in the butter (use a food processor, or your fingers) until the mixture forms small breadcrumbs
• Stir in the sugar, golden raisins and walnuts
• In another large bowl mash up the soft bananas add the sugar and eggs and mix thoroughly
• Add the dry mixture to the banana mix bowl and mix thoroughly again
• Grease the sides of a 2lb loaf tin with butter and line with Parchment Paper
• Pour the cake mix into the tin and smooth out
• Heat the oven to 350f / 180c. Pop the tin in the oven and cook for 1 hr, 15 to 30 mins, check to see if cooked through, (I use a chopstick for this!)
• 5 minutes after it’s come out the oven, remove from the tin and paper to a baking rack to cool

Banana Walnut & Honey Loaf – Before and After Baking

If the smell of the baking bananas and walnuts haven’t got them, one slice of this scrumptious moist and sweet treat served with chilled butter will, I promise!

Bon Appetit….