{Gluten Free} Banana Bread

I've been making this banana bread for some time now and it's a recipe that my children love.  When my daughter was first diagnosed I bought a lot of recipe books online to help me get started.  There are so many to choose from these days but even a couple of years ago there was not so much around.  The Gluten Free Cookbook For Kids by Adriana Rabinovich stood out as it was written for children by a Mom who has a coeliac daughter.  To top it off the little girl on the front cover just reminded me of my daughter too!  I purchased it from the Book Depository.


Gluten free eating has become relatively easy for the adult palate but when it comes to children, and fussy ones at that, some recipes are just too fancy or too grown up.  Banana bread has always been a winner and I've tried lots of gluten free recipes but this one gets eaten every time and no complaints such as 'it tastes funny!' or 'I'll eat the rest of that later' (code for I don't like it but trying to spare your feelings Mom!!).

I do my prep work in the Thermomix and beat the batter in my stand mixer.  When it comes to converting cake recipes not already tried and tested for the TMX I like to do it the old fashioned way. If you don't have a TMX you can buy almond meal and sugars at the supermarket ready to use.  A hand whisk or wooden spoon will also work just as well (with a little more elbow grease!) to mix your batter.

This makes one large loaf using a 23x13 cm tin, 24 standard size muffins, 10 mini loaves or wait for it ... 100 mini muffins!!!  Perfect for a party.

You will need:

100 g unsalted butter
150g caster sugar - use your TMX to blitz sugar to caster sugar 3 seconds sp 9
125 g light brown sugar.  I use Light Muscovado.
2 eggs beaten
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
185 g gluten free plain flour.  I use Well & Good.
125 g ground almonds*.  Use whole almonds and mill 8 to 10 seconds sp 7
1 1/2 tsp baking powder GF
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
350 g mashed bananas.  Pop these into your TMX for a few seconds to mash or use a fork.
175 ml buttermilk

Preparation:

• Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.
• Line your baking tin of choice
• Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs in a little at a time and beat well after each addition.  Add the vanilla extract.

• Combine the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt in a medium bowl.  I like to sieve it once or twice to make sure it's well combined.  
• Mash the bananas and add to the sugar/butter mix
• Add the flour alternately with the buttermilk to the sugar/butter mixing well between each addition

Add the mixture into your tin.  I always use my ice cream scoop so the portions are the same size and it gives a nice dome when it rises.

Bake for 45 minutes for a large loaf, 12 to 15 minutes for muffins, around 30 minutes for mini loaves and 7 to 10 minutes for mini muffins.  You will know when they are ready when a skewer comes out clean of the centre.  Let them cool.

If you want to freeze the bread then do not ice it but if it is to eat now you can ice in a few different ways.  I used the cream cheese recipe from the Everyday Cookbook for the Thermomix but you could make a simple glaze with some lemon juice and icing sugar mixed together.  Let the banana bread cool before icing.  I added some crushed walnuts to the top of my icing to eat at home.

Recipe testing :)

*This recipe contains almonds.  Check your school's policy regarding tree nuts or keep at home for afternoon tea.

So light on the inside

.