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

1. 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.
2. Using an electric whisk, beat the butter with the sugar, eggs and vanilla.
3. Sift in the dry ingredients and stir with a metal spoon. Stir in the mashed bananas and sour cream.
4. 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.
5. 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.