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Banana magic
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Go bananas with yummy cakes, biscuits and jam
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THE UBIQUITOUS banana is a rich source of energy and a staple fruit-diet in many a household. The fruit can also be used in making cakes, biscuits and jams. Check out these recipes to know how.
Nutty banana cake
Ingredients
Ripe large bananas, mashed - 2
Sugar - 1-½ cups
Brown sugar - 1 tbsp
Butter - 1 stick
Eggs - 3
Flour - 2 cups
Baking powder - 1-½ tsp
Baking soda - 1-½ tsp
Salt - ½ tsp
Vanilla - 2 tsp
Milk - ¼ - ½ cup
Method: Cream the first five ingredients. Combine dry ingredients and stir them together. Add vanilla and milk and stir again. Pour into buttered cake pan and bake at 350 degree for 35 minutes or until cake is set. Allow the cake to cool before slicing. Chopped nuts may also be added at the end of mixing.
Jamaica banana jam
Ingredients
Fresh limejuice (about one medium lime) - ¼ cup
Ripe bananas, diced - 3-½ cups
Sugar - 2 -½ cups
Water - ½ cup
Method: Place limejuice in a one-quart measure. Peel bananas and dice directly into limejuice and stir with a wooden spoon. Keep stirring as you dice each banana into the limejuice to prevent darkening. Measure sugar and water into a wide 2½-quart saucepan, and stir to dissolve sugar as you bring syrup to a boil.
Cover tightly for the first two minutes (so the steam will wash sugar crystals from side of saucepan) then uncover, add bananas (with lime) and boil over low heat for about 30 minutes or until thick.
Stir often to prevent sticking, especially during the last 10 minutes.
Jam is done when a spoon scraped across bottom of pan leaves a track that closes slowly, or when jam mounds while stirring.
Spoon at once into hot sterilised jars and seal.
Banana biscuits
Ingredients
Bananas - 4
Rolled oats - 225 gms
Wholemeal flour - 225 gms
Sugar - 225 gms
Butter - 225 gms
Bicarbonate of soda - ½ tsp
Eggs - 2
Method: Mix together the rolled oats, sugar, wholemeal flour, butter and bicarbonate of soda. Blend in two eggs and mix to a stiff dough. Divide into two portions and place one portion in the bottom of a greased 9-inch shallow square baking tin.
Slice the bananas on to this, then put the other half of the mixture on top. Bake a golden brown and cut into fingers.
Banana split
Ingredients
Bananas - 4
Ice cream - 4 portions
Raspberry jam - 4 tbsp
Shelled walnuts - 1 or 2
Method: Peel the bananas and cut in half lengthwise. Chop the nuts and sieve the jam. Place a portion of ice cream in four sweet dishes and arrange the banana pieces at either side.
Pour the jam over and sprinkle with the chopped nuts.
O.P. KHANTWAL
(The writer is Executive Chef at Hotel ITC Kakaitya Sheraton and Towers)
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Metro Plus
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