Banana bread

Craving for sweets? Well, I have been indulging in one too many... I really have to limit my sugar intake after that last week's blood glucose test turned out to be quite high (yes, at times it sucks to be pregnant). What a bummer! and for some reasons I can't peel myself away from sweet confections. 

Well anyway, I have some left-over bananas from the other day and they're ripening so quickly because of the horrid hot weather we've been having, so naturally I thought of banana cake or something similar to bake. With a stroke of luck, I came across a beautifully written recipe by Fig & Cherry, where she came up with a mouth-watering banana bread recipe that sounded so simple to make. So I made an exception this time, and baked this wholesome creation (I only omitted the clove and substitute walnuts to almond)

  *quietly vows to only try a slice once the bread is done.....

BANANA BREAD

Ingredients

125 g butter, melted & cooled

3 over- ripe bananas

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

a pinch of cinnamon

1 1/2 cup plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

a handful of raw almonds, roughly chopped (since they're one of the healthiest nuts around)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 175C, line a standard loaf tin with baking paper 
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt at least 2 to 3 times.
3. Mash the bananas, add in melted butter, sugar, egg, vanilla and cinnamon.
4. Mix in the sifted flour to the banana mixture until just combined.
5. Pour into the prepared bake pan and sprinkle with the almonds, if using
6. Bake for approximately 50 minutes to 1 hour until the bread rises and skewer comes out clean when inserted at the centre of it.

As I baked it, my whole kitchen smelled heavenly of fragrant bananas, cinnamon and almonds, it made me swoon! And once I took it out of the oven, the tempting loaf beckoned me to immediately cut it. I had to leave the kitchen and fast!!

At the end, I couldn't leave the kitchen too long before I came back to it, sliced the edge of the loaf, and slather a generous layer of butter on top... truly wonderful!!