RECIPE: THE BEST BANANA BREAD YOU'LL EVER EAT

I’ve made around six banana loaves since the start of the lockdown and, to toot my own horn, I think this is the best recipe I’ve come to. If you can, don’t skip on the chocolate chips or the cinnamon butter. They really make it extra delicious and you will be the envy of your fellow lockdownees on the ‘gram.

WHAT YOU NEED:

• two mashed ripened bananas

• one halved banana to lay on top (optional)

• 120g salted butter (softened)

• 190g caster sugar

• one tsp pf vanilla essence

• 2 eggs

• 235g self-raising flour

• one tsp of baking powder

• pinch of salt

• chocolate chips (around 120g, but as many as you like, really)

• splash of milk

• two tsp of cinnamon

• four tsp of icing sugar

• half a cup of salted butter

WHAT TO DO:

1. Preheat your oven to 185C and grease a loaf tin.

2. Cream the softened butter and caster sugar together - the longer you cream the lighter your loaf will be.

3. Add the eggs and the vanilla essence, mix em in real good until combined

4. Fold the dry ingredients in (don’t over mix!)

5. Put the chocolate chips in and fold the mixture a few more times so they’re evenly distributed.

6. Finally, add the mashed banana and the splash of milk.

7. Pour it all into your greased tin and lay your halved banana on top for banana-y decoration.
   

8. Put the tin in the oven on a middle shelf and bake for around 40 minutes. Your

banana bread should be golden on top and the knife/skewer should come out clean

when you stab it into the middle. If not, give it a few more minutes and check again.

9. When cooked, leave the banana bread to the side to cool before you take it out of

the tin.

10. Whip up the cinnamon butter in the meantime by taking your icing sugar, half cup

of salted butter and cinnamon and mixing them with an electric mixer.

11. Chuck the kettle on, make a cuppa, cut yourself a slice and spread your cinnamon

butter on top.

12. Yum.