I bought Nigella Lawson's most recent book Kitchen when it came out, but haven't dived into it with as much enthusiasm as some of the great bloggers I follow, I'm hoping it's (or I'm) a slow burner. That said I can't wait to try the sweet and salty crunch nut bars she cooked on her programme last week, but have to wait until I have enough people in the house to eat them all in one go - otherwise I know where any leftovers would go (straight onto my hips!!!!)
I am amazed that all the loaf cakes in this book, well all the photos of the loaf cakes in the book show cakes that have sunk quite a lot - I thought it might be interesting to see if the recipe caused this or was it perhaps an editorial decision (to make the cakes more approachable) or some other reason. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Cranberry, Coconut and Chocolate Banana Bread
125g butter
4 medium bananas
150g caster sugar
2 eggs
175g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bread (bicarbonate of ) soda - sieved
100g desiccated coconut
75g cranberries
50g chocolate chips
Line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 170 C
Melt butter in a large saucepan., then remove from the heat.
Beat the sugar into the cooled butter.
Mash the bananas and beat into the butter and sugar mixture.
Beat in the eggs.
Fold in the flour, baking powder and bread (bicarb of) soda.
Add the cranberries, coconut and chocolate and fold until everything is well incorporated.
Pour into the prepared tin.
Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, until bouncy on top.
Allow to cool for ten minutes, and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
As you can see this mixture made one loaf and 4 muffins.
The lovely (and hugely talented) Megan over at Foodalution paid me the great honour of passing on the Versatile Blogger Award to me some time ago - my son has recently given me a "how to move a tag" lesson and therefore I am delighted to accept and to be able to pass it on to some of the wonderful blogs that I enjoy reading.
I believe that I am supposed to tell you 7 things about myself and then pass the award onto 7 blogs I admire. So here goes:
1. Other than food and cookbooks, I would spend all my money on books (novels) and C.D's (can't be doing with i-tunes!!!)
2. I have recently returned to Yoga, and am loving it.
3. I badly need a new oven - but only like shopping for food, books and music so have been putting the purchase on the long finger!!
4. I am a member of two book clubs and am contemplating joining an on-line one - just not sure when I will be able to find the time to read all those books!!
5. I love reading about people who become self sufficient (or even partly self sufficient) and would love to be able to follow suit - just not enough to do all that weeding!!!!!!!!
6. My perfect holiday is spent in a beautiful place with wonderful restaurants (surprise, surprise!!) with not a sun lounger in sight!
7. My house is filled with musical instruments (and I mean filled!!) and I can't play one of them :-(
I am delighted to pass this lovely award on to the following blogs, I look forward to each new post from them and am pleased to recommend them to you.
In an embarrassment of riches I have another award to be grateful for (thank you so very, very much) The Art of Being Perfect and Cath at Dunn to Perfection, both wonderful bakers (pop over to their blogs you will be impressed, very impressed!) have paid me the complement of granting me this award - thanks so much.
This time all I have to do is nominate 15 great blogs I have discovered and enjoy and inform them of this - easy peasy!!! (If I have left anyone out I am truly sorry and please leave me a nasty comment!!!)
All of these blogs are worth a visit - you'll thank me!!!
