FAMILIES are going bananas for banana bread.
The easy-to-make bake has become the most searched-for recipe during lockdown and thousands of us have shared pics of our creations on social media.
Simple recipes using just a handful of ingredients – such as flour-free chocolate cake and spaghetti carbonara – have also made the lockdown best-loved food list.
So with prices on basic buys lowered at Morrisons this week, here is our guide to making top lockdown treats your family will love.
Spaghetti carbonara – £1.78 per serving
Serves four
Preparation: 5 mins
Cooking: 15 mins
YOU NEED:
- 25g unsalted butter
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 100g pancetta or smoked bacon, diced
- 300g spaghetti
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 40g Parmesan cheese, grated
- 40g pecorino cheese, grated
- Salt and black pepper
METHOD:
- Melt 25g of unsalted butter in a large pan.
- Add one clove of finely chopped garlic as well as 100g of diced pancetta or smoked bacon into the pan.
- Cook for five minutes until crisp and golden brown.
- Meanwhile, place 300g of spaghetti in a large pan of salted, boiling water and cook until “al dente”, which means “firm to bite”.
- In a separate bowl, beat two eggs and add 20g of Parmesan cheese, 20g of pecorino and the black pepper.
- Drain the spaghetti and add to the pan with the pancetta, then toss together. Turn off the heat and pour the egg mixture over the pasta, stirring well.
- The heat of the pasta is enough to cook the egg mixture through. Add the remaining Parmesan and pecorino cheese, then mix again.
- Serve with some more black pepper to taste.
Flour-free chocolate and hazelnut cake – £1.18 per serving
Serves eight
Preparation: 15 mins
Cooking: 40 mins
YOU NEED:
- 550g dark chocolate
- 300g chopped roasted hazelnuts
- 150g muscovado sugar
- 150g caster sugar
- 6 eggs
- 220ml double cream
- 30g butter
METHOD:
- Melt 250g of chocolate and leave to cool. In a food processor, blitz the nuts with the two sugars until you have a sand-like consistency. Add one whole egg.
- Separate the other five eggs and mix the five yolks into the nut mixture along with the melted chocolate. Beat well until smooth.
- In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until you get stiff peaks. Take one-third of the whites and beat them into the nut mixture, then gently fold in the rest. Pour into a lined 23cm baking tin and bake at 150 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
- While the cake is cooling, chop the rest of the chocolate and place in a bowl. Warm the cream and butter in a pan but do not boil it.
- Pour it over the chocolate and mix it well. You should have a smooth and shiny mixture called a ganache. When the cake has cooled, remove it from the tin and cover the top and sides of the cake with the ganache using a palette knife.
- Try to make it as smooth as possible. Dust the top with a little cocoa powder if you wish.
Simple vegan banana bread
– 60p per serving
Serves eight
Preparation: 10 mins
Cooking: 60 mins
YOU NEED:
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 75ml rapeseed oil
- 100g light brown soft sugar
- 225g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp mixed spice
METHOD:
- Mash your bananas in a large mixing bowl, pour in the rapeseed oil and sugar and mix everything until combined. Add the flour, baking powder and mixed spice and stir well.
- Pour the mixture into a lined 2lb loaf tin and bake in a preheated oven at 200C for 60 minutes.
- Check your cake after 20 minutes and if it is browning too quickly, cover with foil.
- Leave to cool before slicing.
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