When you have a friend popping in for a cuppa it's lovely to have something nice to serve alongside it. Of course, homemade is always best! And of course, there's always room for a little showing off, particularly when it comes to your Combi-Steam, which for some reason still seems to be one of the kitchens best kept secrets! This banana & date loaf (or bread) is really simple and quick to put together and most times you will have these ingredients already floating around in your pantry and fridge.

It's also egg free, so perfect for little ones with egg allergies (or vegans if you use coconut yoghurt) and it's a great way to use up those over ripe bananas that are probably looking at you sadly from your fruit bowl right now. Once made, you can also freeze individually wrapped slices, and then throw them into a lunchbox or defrost/warm them using regenerate for breakkie or afternoon tea.

Hot Air Humid, in a V-ZUG or Wolf oven, is the perfect function to use when cooking something like this if you are using my brand of choice! The convection heat (Hot Air) will brown the outside and give you a lovely crust while the humidity (created from the moisture that cooks out of the batter) will be trapped in the oven and help to keep it super moist and fluffy on the inside. Just what you want!

Otherwise, if you are using Combination Steam mode on another brand and need set the variable steam, just go low or around 25% max. A bit of moisture will help but you don’t need too much.

My other kitchen tip is not to over mix it. You really want to only “just” combine it. If you go to far it will be rubbery as the gluten in the flour gets over worked. Like muffins - if you want that light crumbly texture be careful not to go crazy on the mixing spoon or beater.

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups SR flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 ¼ cups brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 over ripe bananas (mashed) (an extra just ripe banana split for the top if you like)
150ml sunflower oil (or other mild flavoured oil)
150ml greek, natural or vanilla yoghurt (or coconut yoghurt for a vegan option)
12 pitted dates (chopped into small pieces)

butter to serve if desired

Method:

1. Select Combination Steam and set temperature to 170°C. (For V-ZUG use Hot Air Humid) (For variable steam setting select 20% or low) . Allow to pre-heat.

2. Spray a large sized loaf pan with some cooking spray or rub with butter. Line with baking paper if desired (especially if your non stick coating is not all it should be!)

3. In a large mixing bowl whisk the flour, sugar, cinnamon and baking powder to combine and remove any large lumps. Stir in the dates.

4. In a separate bowl or large jug combine the bananas, oil and yoghurt. (you can also beat this with a beater attachment and stand mixer and then just add the dry mixture at low speed and mix to just combine)

5. Pour the banana mix into the flour mix and fold through with a silicone spatula. Don't mix it too much...some lumps are good. It shouldn't be all smooth and perfect. As soon as all the flour has been combined, stop! Less is more here.

6. Scrape the mixture into the pan with the spatula and gently spread the top flat getting it down into the corners of the pan. Lay the extra banana on top for decoration if you like.

7. Place onto the second shelf from the bottom and close the door.

8. Bake for 40 minutes. Reduce temperature to 150°C and bake for a further 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.rom the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Carefully tip out onto a cake rack.

9. Slice warm and serve with butter if desired or allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container using Regnerate to warm either the whole loaf or individual slices whenever you like.

This one is a must make. Add it to your regular recipes book as I know you will make it again and again!

I'm going back to cut another slice now!

Happy Combi-Steaming!

Yours in the kitchen,

The CSQ. x