Cafe Style Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 130g organic butter (softened)
• 110g date paste 
• 280g ripe bananas mashed (approx 3)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 250g wholemeal plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon bi-carb soda
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 75g pure maple syrup or rice malt syrup
• 50g walnuts or pecans (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees.
2. Grease and line a 28cm x 15.5cm loaf tin with baking paper.
3. Combine softened butter and date paste in large sized bowl and mix together.
4. Add mashed bananas to the bowl.
5. Scrape down the sides and add remaining ingredients (except the walnuts) and mix.
6. When combined add the nuts (if using) and mix
7. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for approximately 1 hour
8. Check with skewer, if it comes out sticky, pop it back in and bake for another 5 minutes, then check again.
9. Let bread cool slightly in tin then transfer onto wire rack for cooling.