Nanna’s Banana Nut Loaf

It really doesn’t need the honey..

I have my Nanna’s banana nut loaf recipe handwritten on a sheet of paper that was torn out of an old telex book that I used to jot down recipes when I was a teen.  I have my grade 5 teacher to thank for my perpetually wonky handwriting which was just as messy then as it is now.  (She forced us to write on an angry slant with sharp points hitting the blue line. I remember so many kids struggling in class with her ideal script.)

I did have my Nanna’s original cookbook notes, springbound with a bakelite cover, but it was reclaimed by my mother, who perhaps thought, at 15,  I was not responsible enough for its keep. Ironically she eventually lost it.

Nanna Olive (yep!) used a mix of self-raising flour and plain, an enormous amount of sugar and no milk in her recipe. She emphasised the need for very ripe bananas; the blacker and mankier the better! This indeed contributes to the flavour, but also the sugar, so I use a lot less (sugar).

This is my interpretation of her recipe paleo-style, where I have used banana flour and tapioca. I am loving playing around with banana flour, it is so light in texture! Have you tried it yet? I promise I will get off the banana-flour band-wagon soon! Promise. Soon…

120g butter

30g oil, I used olive but macadamia would be nice too

120g rapadura sugar

3 eggs

180g ripe bananas (about 3 medium)

1 teas cinnamon

½ teas each nutmeg and allspice

140g banana flour

50g tapioca

2 teas baking powder

60g – 80g walnuts, chopped

Blend the butter and oil on SP 5 for 3 seconds. Add the sugar and blend on SP 6 for 5 seconds. Scrape down and add the eggs, one at a time while on SP 4, with the spices.

Mix in the bananas on SP 5 until smooth.

Add the flours & baking powder and mix on SP 4 for 10 seconds. Stir through the walnuts at the end to keep them chunky.

Bake in a lined loaf pan for 40 – 45 minutes at 160°C, or until a skewer comes out clean. Let cool for at least 20 minutes, if you can stand the temptation! It’s great fresh out of the oven or toasted with butter. It would also make a great sticky pudding, served in slices with caramel sauce and ice-cream.