Banana bread

A wheat-free banana bread made with ground almonds and flaxseed

Makes: 1 Bread or 15 muffins

300g ripe bananas (roughly 3 bananas)

30g butter, at room temperature

30ml (2 tbsp) maple syrup

5ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon

5ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract

3 large eggs

2.5ml (½ tsp) bicarbonate of soda

15ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice

pinch of salt

220g ground almonds

30g ground flaxseed (also known as linseed)

15ml (1 tbsp) whole flax seed, for sprinkling

Sea salt

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to fan 170°C.

2) Line a 23 x 13cm (900g) loaf tin with enough baking parchment (paper) to double as a wrap for storing the banana bread (if it lasts).

3) Mash the bananas and butter in a mixing bowl to a pulp with a fork. Add the maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, eggs, bicarbonate of soda, lemon juice and a small pinch of salt. Mix well with a whisk.

4) Add the ground almonds and ground flaxseed and mix well. Or, even speedier, you can throw all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blitz together.

5) Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, sprinkle with the flax seed and bake for 1-1¼ hours. It's ready when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out dry.

6) If your bread starts to look quite brown after the first 30 minutes, then cover the top with baking parchment (paper) until it has finished baking. Remove from the oven and leave to cool a little.

7) Serve warm or at room temperature with some lightly salted butter and a cup of tea.

8) Store the bread, covered, in the fridge (remember there is no sugar or preservatives) for up to a week or slice and freeze (that way you can enjoy a slice at a time reheated under the grill).

• Recipe from 'The Art of Eating Well' by Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley (Ebury Press)