Serves: 12

Ingredients:

• 55g walnuts/pecans, crushed
• 210g plain flour
• 60g Bournville powder
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 100g any chocolate chips (or more nuts)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 115g unsalted butter, melted
• 2 ripe bananas (200g)
• 100ml sour cream (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla essence (or ½ tsp extract)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4.
2. Lower shelf so loaf top hits middle oven.
3. Grease and line 9.¾x4.¼" Pyrex loaf dish.
4. In frying pan; Toast nuts for 8-10 mins, cool, crush.
5. In large mixing bowl; Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarb.
6. Stir in sugar and salt. Combine well.
7. In large Pyrex bowl; Mash bananas with fork. Stir in eggs, butter, sour cream and vanilla.
8. Lightly fold banana mix into dry mix with spatula. Should be thick and chunky.
9. Fold in nuts and choc chips.
10. Pour into loaf  dish. Level.
11. Bake for 60-65 mins. Cover from 40 mins with foil to prevent burning.
12. Cool completely before turning out.

Tip: If making plain loaf, substitute Bournville for same weight in flour.

Tip: Traybake style - 12x9" Pyrex dish or 2x 7.¾x5" Pyrex dishes. Bake for 40 mins approx.

Tip: Freezes well - no loss of integrity.

Tip: Freeze ripe mashed banana, with 1 tsp lemon juice per 100g, for upto 6 months. Loses water when defrosted so definitely use sour cream in this instance.