Pear & Plum Banana Bread by Ren Behan
This is the perfect recipe to get the kids involved and help towards their five a day. Quick and easy to make it can be rustled up in no time and provides a wonderful healthy snack. You can also use apples or blueberries for one of the layers.
Kids in the Kitchen
Mashing Bananas – Who doesn’t enjoy mashing stuff? Give your kids the task of peeling and mashing the ripe bananas in this recipe. Tip – here’s a fun song about bananas to sing along while your kids are prepping the bananas.
Sifting Dry Ingredients – Bring on the mess! First measure how much flour you will need and let them go for it. A sieve will work but a handheld flour sifter if you have one would be really fun for the kids too.
Recipe Courtesy of Ren Behan author of Wild Honey and Rye
Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Equipment
- Loaf Tin
- Baking Paper
- Electric Whisk
- Sieve
Ingredients
- 150g unsalted butter (plus a bit extra for greasing)
- 100g soft brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 200g self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (plus extra for dusting)
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 bananas, mashed
- 120g sour cream
- 1 pear, ripe, sliced
- 2 plums, ripe, stone removed, sliced
Cooking Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 5. Grease the inside of a loaf tin with a little butter and line with a sheet of baking paper.
- Using an electric whisk, beat the butter with the sugar, eggs and vanilla.
- Sift in the dry ingredients and stir with a metal spoon. Stir in the mashed bananas and sour cream.
- Add one third of the mixture to the loaf tin and spread out using the back of a spoon. Next, add a layer of pear. Then a further third of the mixture followed by a layer of plum. Add the rest of the mixture and flatten the top. Dust with a little extra cinnamon.
- Bake the loaf for 1 hour. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for ten minutes before carefully taking it out to cool on a wire rack. Serve when warm or cold with extra fruit on the side.
