This gorgeous recipe is so easy to make, I quickly whipped it up to offer as morning tea to some young men who were helping landscape Hargans Cottage. In no time at all it went from the oven to only a few crumbs left.

Serves 10
Makes 25cm x 10cm loaf
Cooking time 50 minutes

Ingredients

200g unsalted butter, well softened
100g caster sugar
100g light brown sugar
3 eggs
200g self-raising flour
3 ripe bananas, peeled and cut into small pieces
200g good quality dark chocolate (min. 60% cocoa solids) roughly chopped
100g walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
2 tbsp demerara sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease 25cm x 10cm loaf tin with butter and flour and set aside (not necessary if using silicone or Teflon tin.

Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on medium speed for 3 minutes or until pale and fluffy. 

Lightly beat the eggs with a fork, then gradually add to the fluffy butter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula every now and then if you feel the egg isn't blending well.

Fold the flour through the butter mixture, then add the banana, chocolate and walnuts and mix well to combine.

Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and sprinkle evenly with the demerara sugar. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 160°C and bake for another 20 minutes.

Cool in the loaf tin for 30 minutes. Serve warm or will keep up to 5 days in an airtight container.

Find this recipe amongst many other faves in Flour and Stone: Baked for Love, Life and Happiness by Nadine Ingram - available here