Banana Bread

As part of my usual boredom routine I made delightful banana bread last night. It cooked wonderfully in our (new!) oven. The brown sugar sprinkled over it formed the most divine crunchy top!

Its banana bread - what's not to love? Get baking!

• 1 2/3 cups plain flour
• 1 1/2 tsps baking powder
• 1/3 cup caster sugar (I use about 1/4 though)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar (I use 2 heaped tbsp)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs (or 6 egg whites for a lighter alternative as mine is)
• 1/2 cup oil (I used olive, but have done canola before)
• 3-4 mashed bananas
• (optional) handful nuts, roughly chopped (this loaf has dry roasted almonds, but I also like using pecans and walnuts)
• brown sugar for sprinkling (about 1 tbsp)

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and make a well in the centre.

Whisk together vanilla, egg and oil before mixing into dry ingredients. Add banana and nuts, mixing to combine. Pour into lined loaf tin, and sprinkle with brown sugar.

Bake at 160C for 1 hour (I turned up the heat to 180C for another 10 minutes in my conventional oven) until cooked through and golden brown. Cool before cutting or it just falls to pieces!

Serve toasted with a scraping of butter and a steaming cup of milky Earl Grey and your favourite mid-morning read. 

Served with a side of Vogue.