Banana and pear bread (loaf)



 

I don't know about you, but I LOVE banana bread! So when I had left over pear pieces to use I thought I'd just add them to the banana bread I was planning to make. The result was a beautiful banana and pear bread, with the pears adding bites of sweetness as you nibble your way through. Funny enough I actually only make my pear version of banana bread now.

What I love the most about this recipe is the bread isn't too crumbly - so much so that I actually add it straight into the toaster like any other bread without it falling into a million pieces!

Banana and pear bread

Makes one loaf

110g butter or margarine (I used margarine)
100g sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
4 mashed bananas
1 banana halved long ways (optional)
400g can of pear halves or slices, half mashed and half simply cut into rough cubes
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup SR flour
1 cup plain flour
Cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on top (optional)

This first part you will need electric beaters or mix master - just whatever you would use when baking cakes. Cream the butter/margarine and sugar like you would for any other cake before adding in your eggs, vanilla and nutmeg. Beat the mixture for a couple of minutes until well combined.

Before you go any further pre-heat your oven to 160 C.

From here you can simply use a wooden spoon, as I find it easier. Mix through your mashed bananas (leaving your halved banana for now) and the pears. The reason why I like to mash half the pears is so that you don't just have pear  pieces; I think it adds more flavour. Sift and fold through both flours until well combined.

Now simply pour the mixture into a loaf tin (I used a 24 cm tin). For a very long time I didn't have a loaf tin so I used a cake tin, which worked just as well. So don't think just because you don't have one that you can't make this recipe. Honestly, it just needs something to bake in!

Lay your banana halves on top before sprinkling with a little cinnamon sugar. If you don't have cinnamon sugar all it really is is a mix of cinnamon and sugar (I know, you never would have guessed) so just sprinkle a little of the two over the top.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour, making sure you allow it to cool before you slice it! You can sneak a piece straight out of the oven but, like with cakes, it can crumble a little bit more.

Enjoy!
Steph xo

Sticky caramel pear tarts



Quick and easy pear tarts on puff pastry.

Well, I guess these pear tarts could be considered mini pear tarte tartins! I think it's a bit too fancy for the quick dessert this is ...

This little tarts are the exact reason why I always keep puff pastry sheets in my freezer! I'm always the type of person who is sitting watching TV and in an instant wants dessert, so I need something quick that isn't too much effort. These are great because if you don't have pears you can use apples, or even peaches. Plus I use canned fruit so you don't have to "plan ahead" and have anything in the fridge, just have a tin in the pantry waiting to be made into something delicious.

The best part is the brown sugar that you add on top; it makes this yummy, sticky caramel over the fruit. Be careful not to accidently get the caramel on your fingers when you are getting them hot off the tray! The caramel will stick to your fingers and burn like crazy (like hot toffee does).

Any burns aside, this is a delicious easy dessert that I recommend you try.

Sticky caramel pear tarts

Makes four small tarts to serve with cream or icecream.
Best served hot while the pastry is still crispy!

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
A tin of pear slices - you'll need around 200g
4 small Tbsps of brown sugar
cinnamon to sprinkle

Cut your puff pastry into quarters, making four squares. Fold up the edges of each side slightly, I'm talking folding no more than 1 cm. This will create a little wall for your tart. Press down on it slightly so that it sticks to the sides. You could put a little bit of water around the edges first, as it will be better - but I'll admit I'm usually too lazy!

Line a baking tray with baking paper so that you don't have sticky caramel to scrub off it later ... trust me, it's not fun! Place each little puff pastry square onto the tray.

Next  open your tin of pears. If the slices are too big like some of mine were simply cut them in half long ways. Arrange the pear halves on top on the pastry, making sure that there isn't too many gaps. You really want the pears to cover the inside of the pastry (inside of the little walls that you created).

Then sprinkle a small tablespoon of brown sugar over the pears. I found that you don't need a full Tbsp, that a little less is perfect; using a tablespoon measurement simply makes things easier. Finally sprinkle a little cinnamon over the top.

Bake in a 200 C oven for about 15-20 mins until the brown sugar has created this sticky looking caramel on top.

Serve while hot with a drizzle of thickened cream or a scoop of icecream.

Enjoy!

Lunch box muffins

I can't be the only one that has fruit brought home all bruised from lunch boxes, can I? It seems to be a common thing in my house - and I don't even have kids yet ... just one big kid! If it's bananas that came home it's banana muffins for work the next day. If apples - apple and cinnamon muffins. But there are only so many banana or apple muffins you can make in a week!

So with a few apples, a bag of poor almost mashed strawberries, and a few bananas in the fridge after a few days at work I thought I better come up with a better solution than having to make a few different types of muffin. Then I thought - why not just make a muffin with everything ... and then the lunch box muffin was born, and it was delicious!!

Lunch box muffins - with bananas, strawberries and apples

Makes 12 medium or 8 large muffins

110 g (1/2 cup) margarine or butter
2/3 cups of sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups SR flour
3/4 cup milk
2 bananas, mashed
8 strawberries, slightly mashed
2 small or 1 large apple, cored and cut into cubes

Cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on top (optional)

Firstly, preheat the oven to a moderate (180C) heat. I'm writing this at the top because if you are like me you get to the end and it says "add to a preheated oven" ... and then you have to wait ... which is annoying!

In an electric mixer or with electric beaters cream the margarine and sugar, then add the egg and vanilla. Beat the mixture until it is fluffy, until it looks a little bit like cake mixture. Mix through your bananas and strawberries. By slightly mashing the strawberries they give the mixture a slight pink colour from their juice, and by only mashing them a little it adds strawberry bits so that they don't get lost in the mixture.

Alternate adding in the flour and milk to the mixture, beating it each time until smooth.

Finally, fold in add the apple pieces.

In a muffin tray spoon your mixture into muffin cases - making sure you keep in mind that they will grow, so you only want to fill the cases no more than 3/4 full.

Before popping them in the oven I sprinkled mine with cinnamon sugar, but it's up to you. Bake in the oven for around 15-20 mins or until golden brown.

Enjoy!
Steph xo

The ultimate breakfast wrap



Breakfast wrap with egg, bacon, sausage, hash browns and cheese.


I love breakfast wraps. If I'm on the run and need breakfast I will always try to get one. The ones I love the most are with bacon, egg, hash browns and cheese - and if they also have sausage it's an added bonus.

I haven't been able to have these at home before because hash browns are not something I keep at home. But yesterday that was all I wanted, so I threw together some hash browns (which were super easy to make) and it was so worth it!

The best part was I'd made tortillas with chilli mince the day before,  so I had left over tortillas for these.

Breakfast wraps

Large tortilla wraps - bought or you can make your own tortillas
Bacon
Sausages
Eggs
Cheese - my preference is a strong cheddar
Tomato relish or your choice of sauce
Hash browns

Cook up your hash browns, bacon, sausages and eggs. Place your wrap on a cutting board or plate and start layering your wrap, adding the relish or sauce last. You want to layer your wrap in the middle of the top two-thirds of the wrap. Hopefully that makes sense!

Fold your wrap by folding the bottom of the wrap up, then the sides. Put the wrap in a hot sandwich press until golden brown and your cheese has melted.

Enjoy!
Steph xo