RECIPE: Banana Loaf // Blogging Anniversary

Today marks the day that I've been blogging for 3 whole years! My blog has changed a lot since then from the name and web page to the design and what I like to blog about most. So today I thought I'd write one of my favourite kinds of posts - baking! It's also fallen on a Wednesday which, as most of you will know is Bake Off day! Last week as the first episode of the new series aired I posted a recipe on Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, so Wednesday's on Abigail's World could become days for everything baking!

Today's recipe is Banana Loaf which I made a couple of weeks ago and it went down a treat! I originally found the recipe here on BBC Good Food and although I had to alter the cooking time, it was delicious, so if you're a banana lover the recipe is below.

Ingredients:

140g butter (softened)

140g caster sugar

2 eggs

140g self-raising flour

1tsp baking powder

2 bananas (mashed)

50g icing sugar

(optional) banana chips for decoration

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 180C and line a loaf tin with baking paper.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs slowly with some flour. Then fold in the rest of the flour with the baking powder and banana.

3. Pour the mixture into the baking tin and bake for about 30 mins, however mine took slightly longer and baked until a skewer came out clean.

4. Set aside to cool once cooked and make the icing. Mix the icing with 2-3 tsp of water and drizzle over the top of the banana loaf and add the banana chips to decorate.

I really enjoyed baking (and eating) this Banana Loaf, and I can't wait to bake it again soon!

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Millionaire's Shortbread Recipe

It's now the Great British Bake Off season and it makes me want to bake even more than I usually do. With last week them focusing on biscuits I decided to bake Millionaire's Shortbread. I've never made this before and I was surprised it went so well, I'll definitely be trying other shortbread recipes now. I used this recipe here from BBC Good Food but just tried something a little different for the chocolate on top to make it look (and taste) even better.

Ingredients

For the shortbread:

• 225g/8oz plain flour
• 175g/6oz cold unsalted butter
• 75g/2¾oz caster sugar

For the topping:

• 150g/5oz butter
• 1 x 379g can condensed milk
• 100g/3½oz golden syrup
• 350g/12oz chocolate (I used 300g milk chocolate and 50g white chocolate)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Line a square cake tin with baking paper.

2. Combine the flour and butter cubes and mix until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. (Alternatively, you can rub the butter in by hand.) 

3. Add in the caster sugar and mix again until combined.

4. Tip the mixture into the lined cake tin and spread it out evenly with the back of a spoon. Then press the shortbread down firmly with your knuckles so that it is tightly packed in the tin.

5. Bake the shortbread for 30 minutes or until very light golden brown. Set aside to cool.

6. Meanwhile, for the topping, heat the butter, condensed milk and golden syrup in a saucepan, stirring occasionally until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth.

7. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to the boil, stirring frequently. The caramel will thicken and turn golden-brown. Set aside to cool slightly, then pour over the cooled shortbread. Allow to cool completely.

8. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave.

9. Pour the melted chocolate over the caramel and set aside until the chocolate has cooled completely.

10. Cut into squares and serve. (Or broken pieces like mine)

I'm looking forward to tomorrows episode for more ideas on what to bake next.

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0:46 min

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