Go Bananas!

Portugal has a close relation with Africa, not only because of its proximity with the black continent but specially thanks to the former Portuguese Colonies overseas. Not surprisingly, Portuguese food has some roots on African cuisine, sharing the love for spices and fruit on both sweet and savoury dishes. Banana breads are not traditional around here or at least not the American way and certainly not very popular across the country. It's not current to find banana bread in coffee shops or at people's places. Except when you have ripped bananas in your kitchen that cry for use, like often happens with me... then banana breads become overly popular. And what a success it usually is! I like banana bread a lot with a ball of vanilla ice cream. It always takes me to the seaside where my parents little apartment's porch makes the perfect place to eat a slice of it, facing the garden with jacarandas and hibiscus trees. For me, nothing could be more fitting to complete a summer day at the beach! This recipe has been pieced together from various other recipes over the years, adding and/or omitting some ingredients. It makes a huge cake in a large square pan or a couple of cakes using bread pans (like I used below).



Banana Bread, my way
makes 1 large or 2 medium cakes (halving the recipe works fine too)

6 medium eggs
2/3 cup cream (150 ml)
2/3 cup unslated butter, melted and cooled (about 100 grs)
1/4 cup olive oil (50 ml)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark muscavado sugar (loosely packed)
1 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinamonn
pinch of nutmeg
1 large or 2 medium banana(s), chopped + 2 medium bananas, sliced
3 Tbsp liquid caramel

Preheat oven to 180ºC. In a large bowl beat the eggs with the muscavado and granulated sugar on medium speed until sugar has dissolved completely, about 2 minutes. Add butter, cream and olive oil, whisking all together. Slowly, mix in sifted flour with spices and baking powder. Add chopped banana(s).

Get the pan(s) ready by spreading the caramel (use a brush, if you like), covering the bottom and sides throughly. Place banana's slices. Pour in the batter, carefully not to disturb the banana. Bake for 35-40 minutes ou until cooked through. Remove from oven. Allow the cake to cool slightly in the pan before removing it to the serving plate.

NQN is holding a Banana Bread Bake off event - this is my entry for the banana bread bake off, hosted by Lorraine from Not Quite Nigella. Get ready for zillions of banana bread recipes!

The roundup is now up! Go check out those beauties here and vote for your favourite!