Banana and Raspberry Bread

I was originally going to make banana bread but realised I didn't have any walnuts in the pantry so I decided to make banana and raspberry bread instead :)

Ingredients

150g butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 ripe bananas, peeled, mashed (approx. 1 cup)
2 cups self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup milk
¾ cup fresh or frozen raspberries 
butter, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease base and sides of a 7cm deep, 11cm x 21cm (base) loaf pan. Line with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang at both long ends.
   
2. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until pale. Add egg, in 2 batches, beating well after each addition.
   
3. Stir in banana. Sift flour and baking powder over banana mixture. Add milk. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Carefully fold in raspberries.
   
4. Spoon mixture into loaf pan. Smooth surface. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Lift onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 10 even slices.

Notes & Tips
If using frozen raspberries, place on paper towel to thaw before using.


To Freeze 
Individually wrap each slice in plastic wrap. Freeze slices in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks. Remove from freezer and unwrap. Spread with butter or margarine and rewrap. Place into lunch box frozen. Slice will thaw by morning tea/recess

Pear and Raspberry Coconut Bread

There's nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked goods in your home and I LOVE baking but I haven't been able to do it lately since I've just been so busy with work. So it wasn't of any surprise that I had an urge to bake something. So, one afternoon I decided to make this pear and raspberry coconut bread as it's an old favourite in our household. Sometimes when I make this loaf bread, I like to slice it up then wrap the slices up individually in cling wrap before placing them all inside a zip lock bag and freezing them. I then thaw the slices by heating it in the microwave and it tastes as good as when first baked. It's great for all those times I'm craving for a nice morning or afternoon tea but can't be bothered to actually make it from scratch.

The secret to a soft, moist loaf bread is to not over mix the batter. Always gently fold the dry ingredients over and stir softly. NEVER stir the batter more than 15 times; count each turn of the spoon around the bowl as one, two, and so on. It is okay to have some lumps in the batter. The object is not to rid the batter of the lumps, but to not over mix. Hence you would NEVER use a hand mixer! This same principle applies to making muffins.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

200g can pears halves in fruit juice, drained
2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
1 cup dessicated coconut
½ cup caster sugar, sifted
270ml light coconut milk
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup frozen raspberries

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 9cm x 22cm (base) loaf pan with non-stick baking paper. Cut the pear into 2cm pieces.
2. Combine the flour, coconut and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk together the coconut milk, eggs and vanilla extract in a separate bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients then add the wet ingredients into the well and mix until just combined.
3. Gently stir in the pears and frozen raspberries- make sure you don't over mix. Spoon into the pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Set aside for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

  

Notes & Tips

Frozen raspberries: Raspberries are a health super-food. They boost metabolism and help protect against cancer and heart disease. You can enjoy frozen raspberries all year round.

Vanilla extract: This has a more concentrated flavour of premium vanilla beans. It has a lower alcohol content, which makes it ideal for high temperatures. If you don't have vanilla extract, then use 1 tsp vanilla essence in this recipe.

Light coconut milk: Coconut milk is a great non-dairy alternative. Choose the light version to cut back on fat.

Banana Bread

If you need a recipe to use up bananas, then you can't go past banana bread! This recipe yields a nice cafe style slice that's half the price you would pay at the local cafe :)

Ingredients

1¾ cup plain flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
⅔ firmly packed cup dark brown sugar
100g walnuts, chopped
3 large over-ripe bananas
2 large eggs, lightly whisked
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g unsalted butter, melted, cooled

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C. Lightly grease an 11cm x 22cm loaf pan and line base and 2 long sides with a sheet of baking paper, leaving 2cm overhanging.
2. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl with the brown sugar, then add the nuts.
3. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher, then stir in the eggs, vanilla extract and cooled melted butter. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until they're just combined- don't over mix.
4. Scrape cake batter into prepared pan. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour or until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool the loaf in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Cut into 8-10 slices.

Notes & Tips

This banana bread will keep in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days, or frozen in individual slices for up to 1 month.

Banana & Blueberry Loaf

I made this old family favourite today after I noticed I had some over ripe bananas in my fruit bowl and some frozen blueberries in my freezer. This version is low in fat and low in kilojoules :)

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

Melted butter, to grease (or spray can oil)
½ cup mashed overipe banana
½ cup caster sugar
140g carton apple fruit puree
2 eggs (room temperature)
½ cup reduced fat milk
1 tablespoon light olive oil or vegetable oil
3/4 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
3/4 cup white self-raising flour
3/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a 6cm deep, 9.5 x 20cm (base measurement) loaf pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line base and 2 long sides with non-stick baking paper.

Combine the banana, sugar, apple puree, eggs, milk and oil in a large bowl.

Sift over the combined flours. Add the husks from the sieve. Use a large metal spoon to fold the flour into the banana mixture until just combined. Add the blueberries and gently fold.

Spoon the mixture into prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake in oven for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into slices to serve