❩❩ new bananas

seems a while back ~

it was my first blog where I shared my banana teabread recipe:

still a favourite and great for using up those over ripe fruits:

then I ate a piece of banana bread with dried fruits at a friends ....

so here's a yum alternative:

banana, apricot and sultana bread

you will need ....

75g apricots ~ chopped

{I used a ready-to-eat variety as they are softsoft}

75g sultanas

100g softened butter

125g caster sugar

3 ripe bananas ~ mashed

200g self raising flour

2 eggs ~ beaten

grated zest of a lemon

set your oven to 160°c/ gas 3:

line and grease a 1kg loaf tin:

cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy:

gradually add in the beaten egg, a little at a time:

stir in the mashed bananas, lemon zest and dried fruits: 

fold in the flour:

and pile into your prepared tin:

bake for 55 minutes:

test for doneness by pressing a skewer into the centre:

if it comes out clean ~ it's done!

cool in the tin for a while, then turn onto a 

cooling rack:

deliciously moist and some of your five a day:

keeps in a cake tin for 3-4 days:

ꈸ rocking it

there's something warm in receiving a handwritten recipe:

like a baton being passed on:

cakes we are so familiar with:

the stuff of childhood and family:

hopefully these staples of baking will

always be handed along:

I'm doing just that for you ....

{my tweaked version}

Rock Cakes

you will need ....

 90g plain flour

90g wholemeal flour

{or 180g plain flour}

85g cold unsalted butter

85g caster sugar

85g seedless raisins

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 generous pinch of cinnamon

an egg

a little milk

preheat your oven to 180°c/350°f/gas 4:

line some baking sheets with greaseproof paper:

in a large bowl, add the flours and give them a little stir 

 with a whisk, to de-lump:

{a little tip I picked up from Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall}

add the sugar and butter cut into little pieces:

now rub the butter into the flour and sugar until it looks

like sandy rubble:

mix in the cinnamon, raisins and baking powder:

whisk the egg in a small bowl and add to the mix:

mix mix and add a little {and I mean a scant little}

 milk to bind it all together:

it should be dry & crumbly so don't worry!

pile rocky heaps onto your baking sheets:

leaving space for them to spread:

you should easily make 12 rocks:

bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown:

leave to cool slightly before putting onto a 

cooling rack:

these will keep for 3-4 days in a tin:

as if!

{these are delish with dried apricots, cranberries or blueberries:

swap the cinnamon for lemon/orange zest for a fruity hit}