Banana Bread

We love banana bread. It's great for breakfast, in lunchboxes and afternoon tea. It's easy to make (no mixer required), especially when the bananas are freckled with brown/black spots and sitting untouched in the fruit bowl.

1 3/4 cups  plain flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2/3 firmly packed cup dark brown sugar
100g walnuts (and 50gm extra to sprinkle on top)
3 large over-ripe bananas
2 large eggs, lightly whisked
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g unsalted butter, melted, cooled

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (120C for my oven). Take a 11cm x 22cm loaf pan and line base and 2 long sides with a sheet of baking paper, leaving 2cm overhanging.
2. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a bowl with the brown sugar, then add the nuts.
3. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork, then stir in the eggs, vanilla extract and cooled melted butter. Using a rubber spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until they are just combined.
4. Scrape the batter into prepared pan. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour or until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. C
5. Cool the loaf in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Cut into 8-10 slices.
   
   P.S. I have also used this recipe and baked in muffin pans.