Roasted Banana Bread Recipe

The glorious roasted banana bread....

Oh, how I could have a thick slice of it everyday

Food photography to me can be quite stressful sometimes. I don't mind the editing process at the end but the plating, styling and snapping process at the start really it mentally consuming. I'd spend quite a lot of time to think about how I want the food to look. To me, it's more about presenting the food in a way that really whets my appetite whilst preserving the essence of how it's meant to be made and consumed. For instance, I won't put a garnish on the dish (even if it may make it prettier) unless it actually is an ingredient of the dish, meant to be eaten with the dish or say something about what we're eating. Slightly part of the reason why I have never put edible flowers or microherbs as a garnish in my cooking because that's not how I would eat a dish at home or serve it to my family. Plus, I don't think it actually has a flavour that complements what I cooked anyway. That said, I do admire it when other people do it because it does look incredible. I'm just saying that when I do it, it just doesn't feel like me.

Based on my short amount of experience, I must say that the end result is always better when I style it the way I want it to look rather than trying to imitate a magazine or website. Even though I do admire those professional images from magazines/websites, I know that my skill is completely not on par so every time I do attempt to recreate a certain style, it always ends up looking worse.

To me, the biggest gripe I have about food photos that I see is when they come across too "try hard", which is something I am very often guilty of myself. At least, I think so anyway. Sure, most of them look "okay" in general, but it is very rare for me to be truly and completely happy with a photo that I've taken. It's very rare. They're not horrible, but I always feel like there's so many things about the photos that can be improved but not sure how. I guess it's absolutely true when they say that you are your harshest critic.

As much as it sounds like I am struggling with food photography, it's exactly why I love it. I love being challenged and I love learning from my mistakes and growing from them. It's a great passion that I have and a craft that I really hope to improve on each day. I am definitely a firm believer that you never stop learning. Applies to any area of my life.

Why am I going on about food photography so much? Well, it's because I'm actually going to a food photography workshop organised by the seriously talented Ewen Bell and Iron Chef Shellie! The two of them have been a huge inspiration to me for the longest time so I am so excited about going away this weekend to just learn and be inspired. I tossed and turned about whether or not I should go (because of the cost and also annual leave I'll have to use) but you know what? I am so glad I bit the bullet and signed up! I have no doubt in my mind that it's going to be an incredible weekend and will love every minute of it. EXCITEEEEEEE. 

OKOKOK back to this recipe. Sharing my second recipe made with my trusty Tefal Cuisine Companion. Wanted to share this roasted banana recipe because 1) it's damn tasty and 2) it shows how much quicker and easier it is to make with the Cuisine Companion. I really love this machine and honestly cannot stop using it.

I know I know that almost everyone has got their favourite banana recipe already but what I personally like to do is roast the bananas first (because it actually helps intensify the flavour and fragrance even if you're using a super ripe banana) and also find that adding a hint of maple syrup in the batter doesn't just add sweetness but also a different dimension of flavour the bread. It gives a deep, dark, rich undertone which complements the roasted banana extremely well. 

So, yes. This is how I like to make my banana bread. It's not exactly conventional but that's why I love cooking. You can always experiment and change it up so that you make food the way YOU like to eat it.

I really, really like this recipe and I do hope you give it a try too! If you do, don't forget to share a photo and tag me on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram because nothing makes me happier than seeing others try out a recipe I've shared.

Hope you're all having a great (early) start to the weekend!

Because I have now partnered with Tefal Australia, they are also giving a bunch of seasonal ingredients to cook with so I can continue to enjoy and experiment with my Cuisine Companion... Yay!

Can't wait to dig in!

Love freezing leftover slices of banana bread so I can just toast myself a piece whenever I feel like one down the track. Freezes/reheats really well!

Yes.

Want me my roasted banana bread

Roasted Banana Bread Recipe

(a recipe adapted from the former Almost Bourdain)

Click here to print the recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (approx. 2 large ones)
2 cups plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup caster or brown sugar
125g unsalted butter (softened)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup milk
1 cup or 100g walnuts (chopped)

To finish: 1 banana (sliced in half)

Method (Normal version)

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a loaf pan with butter. Line the bottom with a sheet of baking paper and lightly dust the sides with flour.

2. Place the banana in a metal plate and roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. 

3. Mix the flour with the baking powder. Set aside.

4. Cream the sugar, butter and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and pale.

5. Add 1 egg at a time. Beat with low speed until well mixed.

6. Stir in the roasted mashed banana, maple syrup and chopped nuts. 

7. Alternately beat in the flour mixture and the milk in 2 batches (flour, milk, flour, milk) into the egg mixture, mixing until just blended.

8. Pour the mixture into the grease pan and place the sliced bananas on top of the batter. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Increase the temperature to 200°C and bake for a further 5 - 10 minutes to make it extra crusty.

9. Let it cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Turn the banana bread out and let cool on a wire rack.

10. Slice the banana bread into thick slices and serve warm. 


Method (Tefal Cuisine Companion version)

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a loaf pan with butter. Line the bottom with a sheet of baking paper and lightly dust the sides with flour.

2. Place the banana in a metal plate and roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. 

3. Place all the ingredients except the roasted mashed banana, chopped nuts and sliced banana into the bowl fitted with the kneading/crushing blade. Launch the P3 pastry program.

4. At the end of the program, add the roasted mashed banana and chopped nuts, then mix at speed 6 for 40seconds.

5. Pour the mixture into the grease pan and place the sliced bananas on top of the batter. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Increase the temperature to 200°C and bake for a further 5 - 10 minutes to make it extra crusty.

6. Let it cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Turn the banana bread out and let cool on a wire rack.

7. Slice the banana bread into thick slices and serve warm.