Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 115g unsalted butter
• 4 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 150g soft light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 80g walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped (optional)

Before you cook

• Preheat the oven to 175C (155C fan) and butter a 23x13cm loaf tin.
• Peel and mash the bananas in a bowl until mostly smooth with a few small lumps.
• Roughly chop the walnuts, if using.

Steps

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Continue cooking the butter for 3 to 4 minutes, swirling the pan, until it turns golden brown and smells nutty.
3. Pour the browned butter into a large mixing bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes.
4. Whisk the brown sugar into the cooled butter until combined.
5. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla extract.
6. Stir the mashed bananas into the wet mixture.
7. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon over the wet mixture.
8. Fold the dry ingredients in gently with a spatula until just combined, with no streaks of flour remaining.
9. Fold in the chopped walnuts, if using.
10. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top.
11. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
12. Cool the loaf in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.