Banana bread with walnuts

A few years ago, as we progressed on our journey to bake bread at home, we bought Paul Hollywood's 'How to bake' book. Only recently have we started to look at his other recipes, meaning recipes that aren't related to bread. This is one of those recipes. It may have the name 'bread' in the title, but it really is a banana cake.

Banana and sugar are a luxurious combination. Add walnuts and you're in heaven!

Serves: 8 slices.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium ripe bananas (the closer to overripe the better - brown is good!)
• 250g sugar
• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 250g plain flour
• 2.5 tsp baking powder
• 120g walnut pieces

Method:

1. Cream the bananas and the sugar together until fluffy. Paul asks for the bananas to be roughly mashed beforehand but there is no need for the extra work. The whisk will do it nicely for you.
   
   
   
   
2. Add the butter and beat until evenly combined.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour with each.
4. Now sift the remaining flour and baking powder over the mixture and carefully fold in.
5. Fold in the walnut pieces.
   
6. Spoon the mixture into a buttered and floured loaf tin and spread evenly.
   
7. Bake for 40 min at 190°C or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. It actually needed 1h in the oven to bake!
8. Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.