Organic banana loaf

We spent a beautiful, tranquil Mother’s Day yesterday at my sister’s house on Lourensford Farm in Somerset West. Her husband, Gerhard, farms with rainbow trout on the grounds and they live in the most idyllic, rustic, spacious farmhouse. Gerhard also has an amazing vegetable and fruit garden, where he grows grapefruit, oranges, peppers, peppadews, cucumbers, spinach, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado’s, aubergines – you name it.

Then I spotted a banana tree next to their outside fireplace, hanging heavy with stocky little yellow bananas. Gerhard picked me a few mixed bags of his produce, including a branch of ripe bananas. What a treat! Some of them were so ripe that I just had to bake a banana loaf this morning. It is amazing what a difference these organic bananas make to the taste of a banana loaf – they are just bursting with intense flavour. An absolute joy for the taste buds!

Try to find organic bananas at your local supermarket or farmers market when baking this loaf. It really is worth it.

Ingredients:

• 125 g butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup soft brown sugar (I use demerara sugar)
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup
• 6-8 small organic bananas, or 4 big organic bananas (finely mashed)
• 2 eggs
• 2 and ‘n half cups self-raising flour
• 3 ml (generous 1/2 teaspoon) baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon fine cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 2 tablespoons milk
• cinnamon sugar for dusting

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and grease 2 medium loaf tins.
2. In an electric mixer, beat butter with sugar and syrup untill light and creamy.
3. Slowly add fine banana and eggs alternatively, beating well in-between.
4. Sieve dry ingredients together. Fold into wet mixture with a metal spoon.
5. Add vanilla to milk, and lightly mix into mixture.
6. Divide mixture into 2 loaf tins, dust with cinnamon sugar, and bake for 45 minutes untill an inserted skewer comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven and turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
8. Serve slightly warm.