We've all done it at some point: bought a pound of greenish bananas with the intention of eating them when they get ripe, then forgotten about them, and now the previously pristine bunch of bananas now resembles nothing so much as the decomposing hand of a dead gorilla. However, put aside thoughts of consigning them to the compost heap¹: bananas are at their tastiest when they are on the cusp of going rotten, and the recipe given here preserves their flavour and aroma but thankfully not their appearance. Banana bread is a light and tasty sweet bread which is great for breakfast or just with a cup of coffee.

It's also very easy to make.

Ingredients

You will need:

• 500g Extremely ripe peeled bananas: if their skin is splitting then they're about right
• 100g soft margarine
• 100g demerara, muscovado or refined sugar
• One egg
• 200g wholemeal flour
• 1tbsp baking powder
• 1/2tsp grated nutmeg
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2tsp salt
• 75g seedless raisins, tossed in some flour
• 4tbsp chopped walnuts or pecans
• A food processor or electric whisk plus mixing bowl

Method

1. Mash the bananas with the vanilla extract and set aside. They shouldn't need much mashing: if they take a lot then they're not ripe enough².

2. Now, with the food processor/mixer, cream together the sugar, margarine then add the egg, and beat until light and fluffy. Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg and whizz until blended. Then add the banana and vanilla mix and beat this into the mixture. Then, on a low setting, add the raisins and nuts and whisk just until mixed.

3. Now grease a 1kg non-stick loaf tin, pile in the mixture and bake at Gas Mark 4/180°C on the middle shelf for an hour or until a skewer inserted into the loaf comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool, and eat with butter, jam, honey or whatever you like.