One of the joys of owning an inn is meeting fellow foodies and travelers. One delightful couple has beehives and they always bring me a jar of their delicious honey whenever they visit. I use their honey to make this recipe, (if I haven’t already eaten it up by the spoonful beforehand!).
Makes: One 9-by-5-inch loaf (10–12 slices)
Ingredients
- 1½ cups self-rising flour*
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 ripe bananas
- 2 medium eggs
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- 5 tablespoons honey
*If you cannot find self-rising flour, substitute:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
- Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the freshly grated nutmeg.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until pale yellow, about 2 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, mash the bananas and mix well with the eggs, lemon extract, and 4 tablespoons of honey.
- Add the banana mixture to the butter mixture. Then add the flour and nutmeg. Mix for about 1 minute, until evenly blended.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- Warm the remaining 1 tablespoon honey in a small saucepan and brush it over the warm bread.
- Let the bread cool completely before slicing and serving.
Gill’s Notes
This light bread is great for people with nut allergies. It’s delicious on its own or served with butter and homemade preserves, especially blackberry. You can also serve it with whipped honey butter:
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 4 tablespoons softened butter
Whip the honey into the softened butter and serve alongside the bread.