JP's World Famous Banana & Walnut Loaf

Here's a good alternative to an energy bar, a dead easy to make Banana & Walnut Loaf (just slice it up and freeze until you need it, pop it in a poly bag when you leave the house and it'll have de-frosted by the time you come to eat it on the ride), you won't be disappointed.

 

Banana and Walnut Loaf  Ingredients: 

4 medium bananas (approximately 350 g)

6 oz (175 g) walnut pieces

pinch of salt

1 rounded teaspoon baking powder

1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 oz (110 g) plain flour

4 oz (110 g) wholewheat flour

grated zest 1 orange

grated zest 1 lemon  4 oz (110 g)

butter/marg 4 oz (175 g)

soft dark brown sugar

2 large eggs at room temperature

 

You will also need a 2 lb (900 g) loaf tin, lightly buttered.

 

Pre-heat the oven to 160°C   Begin, as soon as the oven has pre-heated, by spreading the nuts out on a baking sheet and toasting them lightly in the oven for 7-8 minutes. After that, remove them from the oven to a chopping board, let them cool briefly, then chop them fairly roughly.

Now, in a bowl, peel and mash 3 of the bananas to a purée with a fork, and peel and chop the other one into ½ inch (1 cm) chunks. Next you need to take a large mixing bowl and sift the salt, baking powder, cinnamon and both the flours into it, then adding the bran that's left in the sieve. Now simply add all the remaining ingredients (except the chopped banana and nuts) and, using an electric hand whisk, begin to beat the mixture, first on a slow speed for about half a minute, then increasing the speed to mix everything thoroughly and smoothly. Then lightly fold in the chopped banana and walnuts. You may need to add a drop of milk to give a mixture that drops easily off a spoon when you give it a sharp tap on the side of the bowl. Next pile the mixture into the tin, level the top with the back of a spoon. Bake in the centre of the oven for approx. 1hr 10 mins, until the cake feels springy in the centre. After that, remove it from the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes before turning it out, slice when cool - Enjoy.