Banana and Apple Loaf

I got the Tana Ramsey book for myself at Christmas, even though it has meat things in and we are all veggie. I was lured by the homemade Jammy Dodgers recipe. I haven't made those yet but hope to do them very soon. I got put off proper JD's when I watched a kids programme that did a visit to the factory. It really is quite yuk and very offputting!

The first thing I have made is the Banana and Apple Loaf (yes, another banana recipe!) The kids had loads of chocolate and biscuits for Christmas so I hadn't baked anything to give them chance to get through it all but I had complaints from them (which I'm secretly pleased about!) so had to make this in a hurry. In Girls' case complaining consisted of pointing at every tupperware box she saw and screeching. It's nice to be appreciated.

Banana and Apple Loaf
150g light brown sugar
85g butter, softened
2 large eggs, beaten
4 medium bananas, mashed
1 apple, grated (it doesn't say if it's meant to be peeled or not, I peeled mine)
250g self raising flour
1/4 of a tsp fresh nutmeg (I used jar stuff)
1/4 of a teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt

• Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin and preheat oven to 180/Gas 4
• Cream together butter, sugar and eggs
• Stir in the mashed banana and apple then sieve in the flour, nutmeg, salt and cinnamon
• Mix well to combine, pour into loaf tin and bake for 40-45 minutes until skewer comes out clean
  
• Remove to a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes. Turn out from tin and continue cooling. Allow to cool completely before cutting into slices.
• Serve. (Yes it really says this in the book, has it's own bullet point and everything. Do we need to be told? If so you really shouldn't be allowed to play with the oven.)

The resulting cake is quite dense, I'd have thought it would take more raising agent than just the self raising flour but it was fine. It smells lovely.

Blueberry and Apple Loaf Cake

Please excuse the picture, I was having new camera trouble and that's the clearest one I managed to get before the cake was attacked in an after dinner frenzy. Boy managed to negotiate himself two slices as apparently it is 'really fantastic cake.'

I was having a pre-Christmas clear out of my freezer and I happened upon half a bag of blueberries I had bought to make Delia's Blueberry Muffin Cake. I wasn't overly keen on it and the rest of the bluberries got forgotten underneath the sweetcorn until today. Though to be honest I wish the sweetcorn was forgotten, it's vile stuff.

I didn't feel like making muffins and went online (ok, when aren't I online?) to find something else that I could make with my limited ingredients, I haven't been shopping and don't really feel like it in this weather! I'd probably end up letting the trolley blow into someones paintwork. I really do have to go tomorrow though or dinner will be very unusual.

Anyway I managed to find a simple recipe at my first port of call, Nigella.com. I didn't do the layering thing I just mixed the apple and blueberries into the mixture as I hadn't got anything to glaze the top and I thought the kids would prefer it like that anyway. I was a bit worried about using the berries straight from frozen I always imagine they will make the cake all purple and soggy. I rinsed all the excess ice off them just as a precaution. I was surprised when I cut into it and they had behaved themselves. Really pleased with this one, will definitely make it again.