Banana Pudding with Caramel Sauce

 

This week’s recipe comes from www.bestrecipes.com.au

Inspiration: 4 very ripe bananas sitting on the bench-top and people coming for an impromptu dinner in half an hour!

250g butter

1C caster sugar

4 eggs*

1C self-raising flour

1t baking powder

1C mashed over-ripe bananas**

Whipped cream and extra sliced banana to decorate

 

Caramel sauce

1C caster sugar

1C water

50g butter

1/2C cream

 

*I made double the recipe as we had a bit of a crowd. I used 6 eggs (instead of 8) and 1/3C milk. I don’t know if this is what Margaret Fulton would recommend, but it worked for me :->

**Double recipe – I used 4 squishy bananas

1. Lightly grease a 22cm cake pan (or in my case a lamington size pyrex dish for a double recipe). Cover base with baking paper if you want to save on some scrubbing later (unlike myself who didn’t read the instructions!).
2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy in your electric mixer.
3. If your 5 year old has been helping you “mash” the bananas, then add them to the mixer at this stage to finish the process!
4. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined.
5. Fold in sifted dry ingredients.
6. Fold in bananas (if you didn’t have a 5 year old helping you!).
7. Pour into prepared pan.
8. Cook at 180C for about 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean from the middle of the pudding.

Caramel sauce:

1. Combine sugar and water in pan. Stir over low heat, without boiling, until sugar is dissolved.
2. Bring to boil and boil uncovered, without stirring, until golden brown. Cool slightly.
3. Stir in butter until melted and then gradually stir in cream.

 

Serve slices of the pudding with warm caramel sauce drizzled on top.

If you are feeling super-creative, then decorate with whipped cream and sliced banana!

 

My little helper “lightly” greasing the pan!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t let these gross pictures put you off! It will really be yummy when it is cooked!!

Potato, leek, spinach, zucchini and bacon soup

I can’t remember where I found this recipe but it was amazing and such a hit with the family! (well most of them, anyway).

Serves: 4 to 6

50gm butter (I used olive oil)
4 spring onions (roughly chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (roughly chopped)
2 leeks (roughly chopped)
6 potatoes (peeled and halved)
2 packets of frozen spinach
4 zucchini (roughly chopped)
2 chicken or bacon stock cubes (make into approx 500ml stock by adding water)
2 decent sized bacon bones*

Cream
Salt and Pepper

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Method

Heat the butter over a medium to high heat in a stockpot, add the spring onions, garlic and leeks and cook until translucent.
Add the bacon bones* (piece of ham), stock, potatoes, zucchini and spinach - reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for approximately 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Once the soup is cooked, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Using a blender, vitamise until all vegetables have been 'blitzed' and the desired consistency is reached (I like my soup quite smooth, but this is entirely up to you).
Season to taste.
Serve in large bowls with toasted sourdough or ciabatta (on special!) with lashings of cream.

*There weren’t any bacon bones available when I went shopping, but I did spy a nice piece of smoked ham at a decent price. It was cooked for the same amount of time as the vegetables so it was deliciously tender. My Dad broke it up into little pieces for me just prior to serving. Thanks Dad :->