If you are
wondering why I’m baking with bananas today it’s because I’ve got a bowlful
that needs to be eaten very quickly! I
am always on the look-out for gluten and wheat free recipes. I think I’ve been too naive about what goes
into recipes in the past. So I’m very excited
to try this recipe using polenta which I have eaten millions of times, but
never cooked with before.
Polenta is
naturally wheat and gluten free. It is
made by grinding corn into flour and is a staple in Italy. Uncooked polenta in baking results in a moist
product. It also adds a grainy dimension
that is tasty and most of all, a wheat and gluten free dish. It is also cheap and readily stocked in most
supermarkets.
Ingredients
5 small to
medium bananas, mashed
100g
walnut pieces
Dry ingredients
110g plain
gluten free flour
110g
polenta
1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon
mixed spice
1 rounded
teaspoon baking powder
140g dark
brown muscovado sugar
Pinch of salt
Pinch of salt
90g *margarine
or butter, melted
1 teaspoon
vanilla essence
3
tablespoon strong black coffee
Methods
1. Preheat
the oven to 170 degrees celcius.
2. Mash
bananas and set aside.
3. Roast
the walnut pieces on a baking tray for 7 minutes.
4. In a
large bowl combine the dry ingredients.
Using your fingers, break up any lumps of sugar.
5. Add butter,
vanilla essence and fold in the bananas and walnut pieces.
6. Finally
add the coffee. Beat the mixture until it is smooth.
7. Pour
into a baking tin and bake for approximately 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer
comes out clean.
Allow to
cool completely before serving with a freshly brewed cup of tea or coffee.
This recipe
is milk, egg, wheat, gluten and soy free.
If you are avoiding milk, ensure that your margarine is vegetable based
and read the ingredient list. Butter is
not free from milk. If you don’t need to
avoid eggs, then simply replace one of the bananas with an egg.
Lovely readers, how do you cook with polenta?
