Banana bread is one of those treats that I keep coming back to again and again. It's so easy to make, you only need a couple of ingredients, and it always tastes delicious. A rare fond memory of lockdown, I still try to make banana bread whenever I've got a bunch about to go bad.
Mary Berry's recipe is usually my go-to: she's the queen of baking for a reason - and her method has never failed me. However, this time I decided to jazz it up a bit by adding one very trendy ingredient that I cannot get enough of right now. Pistachio is everywhere at the minute, from the viral Dubai chocolate bars to the famous £17 pistachio easter egg from Waitrose.
She is the moment: sweet, nutty and rich, I had been trying to get my hands on some pistachio spread (that didn't cost insane amounts of money) for a long time. But it was Lidl's Italian Week to the rescue when I entered my local store a few weeks ago and found the shelves stacked with the creamy green delight. It also cost less than £3, which was significantly cheaper than the versions I'd also spotted at M&S and even world foods supermakets.
I couldn't wait to try it out in some baking - and thought it would be the perfect topping for some fresh banana bread. Ingredients 100g butter, softened 175g caster sugar Two eggs Two ripe bananas, mashed 225g self raising flour One tsp baking powder Two tbsp milk Pistachio spread to finish Method First, grease a 17 x 9 x 9cm loaf tin with butter, and line it with greaseproof paper. Preheat th.