Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Coffee Ice Cream

Is it weird that this recipe sounds like breakfast to me?

Slow releasing energy bananas. High in protein peanut butter. Caffeine rich coffee. A nice rounded breakfast I'd say!

As atrociously crazy as cake masked as bread and ice cream for breakfast sounds, when I was younger my breakfasts were a lot worse. 

Ever heard of anyone eating bourbon biscuits (the Champion of all biscuits in my opinion) before 8 am? Or a slice of angel cake (the Mr Kipling kind with three perfectly formed pink, yellow and white layers)?

Now before all you Parenting Police start cursing my Mum and Dad for letting me eat such sugar packed rubbish in the morning. It was better than sending me to school on an empty stomach (.. or so I persuaded them!)

In their defence. I cannot remember a day of my whole schooling life when I got sent to school without a fruit box. Which I (almost) always ate. 

There. That makes it all right now doesn't it? (Rhetorical question.)

Since my younger school days I have developed a real appetite in the morning. Some would say it's a more irrepressible appetite practically all of the time (which is probably true). 

But, if you haven't tried peanut butter and banana on toast in the morning then, quite frankly, your breakfast repertoire is definitely lacking. Trust me it keeps you full until at least elevenses!

So whether you deem my argument for peanut butter, banana and coffee as a breakfast combo valid or not, you cannot argue against these flavours working a treat as a dessert. Or as elevenses or lunch or tea time snack or after dinner dessert or they will undoubtedly satisfy your midnight cravings. (All of which are acceptable, if not essential, mealtimes.)

Even better this is a Nigella recipe (the Nigella of easy, stress free, somewhat sexualised cooking fame) for no churn ice cream. And as for the banana bread, that's just a bit of smooshing, sifting and mixing. Simple!

Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Coffee Ice Cream (Serves 8)

Prep time: ice cream overnight, bread 35 minutes

For the bread –

1 ½ cup self raising flour, sifted

½ cup sugar

3 ripe bananas

3 tbsp peanut butter

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/3 cup butter, melted

2 tbsp milk

For the ice cream –

300 ml double cream

175 g condensed milk

2 tbsp espresso powder

Coffee Ice Cream

1.       Make the ice cream at least 6 hrs in advanced.

2.      Start by whisking all the ingredients together to form soft peaks. Use a machine; your arms do not deserve to be punished that much.

3.      Fill into containers, 2 x 500 ml containers will do, and freeze for at least 6 hrs.

Peanut Butter and Banana Bread

For reference, this was the measuring cup  I used. A cup only slightly taller and wider than an orange. 

 1.       Mash the bananas in a bowl with the peanut butter.  

 2.      Add the melted butter, sugar, milk and bicarbonate of soda and mix well.

 3.      Finally, fold in the sifted flour.

4.      Bake in a pre heated oven 180ºc for 25 minutes or until cooked all the way through.

 5.      Leave to cool or serve warm with the ice cream.

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Whatever time of day you decide to try this recipe, I hope it satisfies you as much as it did me. 


Until next time...