Darcy's Banana Bread

This is named after a friend's little girl who is on a restricted diet so protein content really matters. It sounds complicated but I am assured it is actually very quick and easy!

MEWS free, corn free, nut free and delicious!

PREHEAT oven to 170C

Ingredients

• 350g peeled bananas (peeled weight)
• 180g-200g plain flour (rice and quinoa flour mixed works well with 140g-150g rice flour to 30g-40g quinoa flour)
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1tsp salt
• 1/3 cup brown sugar and white sugar mixed (if you convert this measurement remember different ingredients have different weights to cup values....)
• 1 tbsp water
• 1tsp xanthan gum
• 3tbsp oil plus any extra to grease a loaf tin
• splash of vanilla extract (I use the Madagascan vanilla extract from Lakeland, it's lovely!)
• 1tsp cinnamon (optional)

Optional nutritional supplements :-
2tsp calcium and vit D powder
5 scoops of Neocate
dash of apple juice if using the above and the acid helps the rise

Method

• Mash bananas in a large bowl
• Mix Sugar, water and oil and microwave/heat 30 seconds. CAREFUL IT WILL BE VERY HOT!!
• The oil will be sitting on top of the sugar so whisk through then whisk it into the bananas fast. (You could use a Kenwood type mixer instead)
• Add vanilla, salt to this "wet" bowl
• Mix everything else into the dry bowl and sift in to the wet bowl.
• Pour into a lined loaf tin, if you want a crunchy top then sprinkle some brown sugar over it before baking.
• Bake until a knife or cocktail stick comes out clean, allow to cool then cut in slices. 
• Freezes well.

IF YOU CAN USE EGGS THERE IS A BANANA MUFFIN/LOAF RECIPE HERE WHICH IS A GOOD ALTERNATIVE. I am looking forward to trying this myself - thanks Claire!

Fruit Bread

This is a variation of Orgran Easy Bake mix.

The Orgran mix is by far the easiest bread mix I have tried, not as versatile as the Juvela Harvest White (ie cannot make pastry, bake with it as free from flour) but you cannot beat it for ease when it comes to making a loaf. Rolls are harder to form because the mixture is thicker and stickier however, but for a basic loaf to slice and freeze it's fab!

So I decided to try adding some raisins, cinnamon, mixed spice and a couple of tablespoons of caster sugar to try and achieve a fruit bread. And a little cocoa powder to change the colour a little.

The results are amazing, great texture, easy to slice so it can be frozen, and should toast well too.

One word of warning though..... the sugar had another effect.... it really makes it expand more and I should have split the mixture between two loaf tins I think so leave plenty of room!!!

Orgran Easy Bake really IS that easy but there is even a YouTube video on how to do it!