Preparation Time
1 Hour 15 Minutes
Serves
8-10
Nutrition
N/A
Puree
Mash the remaining half of banana that you didn’t put on top of the bread and serve to your baby
Finger Food
Serve a small slice of the bread with chunks of fresh banana
Ingredients
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50g pecan nuts
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150ml vegetable oil
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200g dark brown sugar
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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350g ripe skinned bananas
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2 free-range eggs
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75g natural yoghurt
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1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
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1 tsp baking powder
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½ tsp ground cinnamon
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¼ tsp salt
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225g wholemeal spelt flour
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1 banana, peeled and 3 tbsp caster sugar, for the top
Use bananas that are starting to go a bit black and bruised – there’ll be super-sweet and gooey which is perfect for the bread
1. Heat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3½. Butter a 900g/2lb loaf tin and line it with baking paper. Line a baking sheet with baking paper as well.
2. Spread the pecans out over the lined baking sheet and toast them in the oven for about 5-7 minutes, or until lightly golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, dark brown sugar, vanilla and eggs.
4. In a separate bowl, roughly mash up the bananas. Add the yoghurt and mix well. Sift the bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and cinnamon over the yoghurt mixture, add the salt and stir well to combine.
5. Now add the banana mixture to the egg mixture and stir to combine. Chop the pecans into small pieces and add them with the flour, stirring just until incorporated. Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin.
6. Carefully slice the remaining banana in half lengthwise. Place one half, cut side up, on top of the bread and sprinkle with caster sugar.
7. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the bread is springy to the touch and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool in the tin for at least 10 minutes before turning it out to a wire rack to cool.
This dish is safe in pregnancy.
Recipe taken from LEON Baking and Puddings by Henry Dimbleby and Claire Ptak, published by Conran Octopus, £20.