Dark & Spicy Banana Bread with Dates and Walnuts

In Season: Walnuts

October – January

I’m not really going to write that much about this banana bread because the thing is, you really have to make it. When it went into the oven I was slightly dubious as to how it would turn out as I was so distracted by the Graham Norton episode on that I mixed up the order of the steps. But the truth is I just wont be able to make it any other way ever again…

That isn’t to take anything away the recipe that I have been a loyal user of for about 7 years now (banana bread was one of the first things I baked on my own), it is more that I prefer the stickiness and sweetness of dates to the sultanas that Nigella uses, and loving nuts as much as I do I couldn’t not increase the quantity. I also added one more banana, this time in small chunks, so that they really make themselves known in the loaf. The additional of spices give it a warmth and wintery-ness that I think is essential during these long January days, and the smell that it fills your house with is worth cooking it alone for. Feel free to use Nigella’s original recipe (click here), but please please please give this one a go if you feel like it. I promise it is lovely.

• 175g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 150g caster sugar
• 125g unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 300g very ripe bananas, mashed
• 150g medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• 100g chopped walnuts
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• 1 extra banana

Preheat oven to 170ºC

1) Sieve into a big bowl the flour, baking powder, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, spices and salt, then combine well with a wooden spoon.

2) Put the butter, dates and golden syrup in a small saucepan over a low heat, keeping an eye on it so that it doesn’t burn. When melted, add the mashed bananas and stir on the heat until they are properly coated.

3) Take the pan of the heat and pour mixture into a big bowl, add the vanilla extract, then walnuts, and then whisk one egg in at a time.

4) Bit by bit, add the dry mixture until just combined but be careful not to overmix.

5) Scrape into a loaf tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 1-1¼ hours. A skewer inserted into the middle that comes out clean is the perfect way of knowing that it is ready to come out. Leave to cool, or if you are like me and just can’t wait, tip onto a wire rack and slice immediately.