BANANA AND WALNUT BREAD

The sun is shining and London is a different city. Balmy days and lazy evenings have given us city folk a healthy dose of perspective, and had the yuppies and cabbies (lets overlook that strike) alike grinning from ear to ear. I've spent rather a lot of the past few weeks outdoors armed with a cold one, meaning that both my kitchen and Pudding Lane have been a little neglected. Love the sun as I do, it's good to be back.

Mindful that our tans won't top up themselves, here's a recipe that you can whip up and forget about in ten short minutes. This is an all time favourite in our household, and has a sneaky habit of disappearing much quicker than it should during bikini-season. Maybe it's because it's sweet, golden and charmingly moorish, just like the sun when he's got his cap on.

While this is basking at 180C for just under an hour, you can bask in this beautiful British sunshine. Thank me later.

THE INGREDIENTS

4 small, very ripe bananas

125g unsalted butter

175g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

130g caster sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

100g white chocolate

60g walnut 

THE RECIPE 

Preheat your oven to 180C, and line a 1kg loaf tin with baking parchment. Pop your butter in the microwave to melt it. Seperately, peel your bananas into a bowl, and mash them up until pureed. Weigh the flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt, sugar, eggs and vanilla into a third bowl, and beat until smooth and combined. While the mixer is going, add the butter and banana puree. 

Chop the chocolate and walnuts into chunks, then fold through the mixture by hand. Pour into the lined tin, then bake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour. Check it after 45 minutes, and cover with foil if the top is browning too quickly. 

Once the cake passes the knife test, whip it out and onto a plate. Slice up roughly, take outside with a few bottles and make the most of Britain's very best. On summer, please don't go just yet.