This recipe is ideal for using up very ripe bananas. Ripe bananas are high in sugar so you don’t need to use as much. I’ve used wholemeal flour and maple syrup to reduce the GI levels meaning that it will keep your children going longer with the slow release carbohydrates.
3-4 very ripe bananas
225g whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
100g soft butter
2 eggs
4 tbsp maple syrup
50g coconut sugar or light muscovado sugar
100g walnuts, chopped
demerara sugar to sprinkle
Makes 1 loaf
Preheat the oven to 180c/gas 4. Grease and line a loaf tin (approx 8 x 5 inches).
Peel and mash the bananas with a fork. Mix the flour, baking powder, mixed spice and ground cinnamon together.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy then add the eggs, maple syrup and the flour mixture at the same time. Mix well. Stir in the walnuts.
Transfer to the greased, lined loaf time, sprinkle over some demerara sugar and bake for 1 1/4 hours. Use a skewer to test for doneness, if it comes out clean the bread is cooked, if not cook for a further 5 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack until completely cool.
AGA – roasting oven, shelf on oven floor, plain cold shelf above, cook for 30 minutes then transfer to the simmering oven for a further 30-45 minutes.
Extracted from my book 200 Healthy Kids Meals published by Sellers.