Pages

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Dried fruit, orange and banana loaf.

I'm really trying very hard to keep a cool attitude while we melt away in this heatwave. Our solar hot water system has a temperature display which was telling me that the  water in tubes on the roof  is 139 deg C. Now that is just too hot. The temperature in the tank is regulated with hot water to keep it at a safe heat.
 
Salads and sandwiches have been high on the menu the past few days. No one wants to sit down to anything heavy and we are eating a little later in the evening when the sun has dipped over the hill to our west. If I bake, I have been doing so in the morning. Today it was a loaf style cake which is just right with an afternoon cup of herbal tea which oddly enough is cooling. This is much lighter than Christmas style fruit cakes and the inclusion of cranberries gives it a bit of zing too.
 
Dried fruit, orange and banana loaf
 
 
Dried fruit, orange and banana loaf
 
Ingredients
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup dried fruit
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 cups self raising flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup orange juice
2 ripe bananas
 
Method
Grease and line a 14 x 21 cm loaf tin.
Pre-heat oven to 180 deg C
Cream butter and sugar together  with an electric mixer until light and fluffly.
Beat in eggs, bananas and juice.
Stir in dried fruit.
Stir in flour until combined.
Spread into prepared loaf tin and bake for 50-60 minutes. My oven which is slow, takes the hour but I would recommend checking it after the 50 minute mark.
Allow to cool slightly and then remove from tin.
Enjoy warm or allow to cool. My dad would spread butter on a cake like this but it isn't necessary, just a little bit of decadence.

I had a disaster in the kitchen today. My 20 year old electric hand mixer has decided it is time to go where old mixers go (in the bin). It is a cheapy KMart  model that my mum gave me years ago, a Kitchen Maid which if you say it quickly enough sounds kind of impressive, like a Kitchen Aide. It has served me well and I know that for the $20 price tag I won't get anything near as good in today's market. Never mind, wooden spoons and wire whisks are good enough for the time being but I will not be making any meringues without electric beaters. I think I will put my $30 that my mother in law gave me for Christmas towards a new mixer.

Tracy



6 comments:

Fiona said...

that sounds yummy... thanks.. I always like the recipes you put up.... pity about the mixer but I have to admit it has served you very well....
Hugz

Cheryl (aka Kayly) said...

Hi Tracey,
I may not comment on your blog often, but I am an avid reader. I love all your cooking and gardening posts.
I too have wooden spoons and whisks, but I also have a good old hand turned one. I don't know it correct name. It comes out regularly. It's great for cream.
Several years ago, I had it out at a family do. My then 20 something niece couldn't believe her eyes. She didn't know what it was and was amazed I could whip cream without electricity. Yes she's blonde. (Sorry blondies.)

Kimmie said...

A herbal tea and a piece of that cake sounds super delish to me!

Karen said...

Wow, that is hot on the roof. You might be able to pick up a bargain in the after xmas sales for the mixer, that is what I did last year. Cake looks yummo!

trishie said...

139 degrees water?! Oh that's waaaay hot. I'm glad that the weather been quite mild in the last couple of days since my return.

PS: I received the gorgeous ornaments and gift tags! Love them, thank you.

Kirby said...

Wow, that recipe puts my plain old banana bread to shame, I'll have to give it a try.