I saw my first fly today. Flies bum me out; flies mean Winter has finally passed and given way to immanent Spring. The moment the first bluebottle bumbles across my path, I instantly lament the Winter I’ve been whining about for the last two months and start looking forward to weeks of not knowing whether to wear a coat. With warmth brings regret, regret brings salad masquerading as a meals. Salad masquerading as a meal makes Katie unhappy. I’m going to hide indoors and cling onto the last fleeting days of Winter, I’m going to bake hazelnut and chocolate banana bread!
Banana bread is like a hug in a cake. It’s warm and comforting without being cloyingly sweet. If you’re a a calorie rebel, like me, you can even turn a few slices of this son’bitch into french toast drizzled with Nutella. Filthy, I know.
Banana bread famously lasts super well, it stays deliciously moist as long as you treat it right. I make a loaf at the beginning of the week, wrap it in cling film and cut a slice every morning. Even after five days this cake was as delicious as the day it was baked.
Hazelnut & Chocolate Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 200g unsalted butter
- 200g light brown sugar
- 100g whole, skinless hazelnuts
- 2 large eggs
- 200g self raising flour
- 1tsp baking powder
- 3 medium, ripe bananas mashed with a fork
- 1/2tsp vanilla extract
- 200g plain chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175C then grease and line a loaf tin with baking parchment.
- Beat the sugar and flour together for five minutes until light and creamy, add the eggs one at a time mixing well between each addition. Scoop in your mashed bananas and vanilla extract and mix. While you beat your butter and sugar toast the hazelnuts in the oven for a few minutes. Once toasted pop them into a food processor and pulse them until they’re finely ground.
- Add the hazelnuts, flour and baking powder to the butter and mix until combined. Stir through the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon before pouring the batter into the prepared tin and baking for 60 – 75 minutes, the cake should be golden brown and springs back if prodded with a finger.
- Allow to cool in the tin before turning out and enjoying while still warm.
