We always seem to over-purchase bananas, and inevitably, end up with two or three unappetising looking black bananas!

We have Nigel Slater to thank for this wonderful banana and chocolate loaf recipe, and these ingredients are enough to make a loaf, and four muffins… we’ve adjusted a tad to suit us (we omit the nuts Nigel suggests, as this means the boys can take the muffins in their school packed lunch, no nuts permitted at school!)

Ingredients
265g/9oz unsalted organic butter, softened
265g/9oz Fairtrade sugar (any however Nigel recommends half light muscovado, half golden caster)
3 free-range eggs
265g/9oz self-raising flour
3 very ripe Fairtrade bananas
3 drops of vanilla extract
265g/9oz dark chocolate (we like Divine chocolate – a lot!)
a little milk to add if the mixture is too thick.
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.
Line the base and sides of a 20cm x 12cm/8in x 5in loaf tin with baking parchment.
Beat the butter and sugar until light. We use a little hand blender for this.

Bash the chocolate bar into small pieces; the kids rather enjoy doing this with a rolling pin (still in its wrapper)

Slowly add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture, then mix in the self-raising flour.
Peel the bananas and chop them into smallish chunks. Gently fold the vanilla extract, the bananas and the chocolate into the cake mixture, turning gently.
Pop the cake batter into the prepared loaf tin, and the muffin cases. Dust the tops with a little sugar. Bake the muffins for about 35 minutes (test with a knife, if it comes out clean, they are ready)…. The loaf needs a little longer between 1 hour and 1 hour 10 minutes, covering the cake with foil if the top starts to darken too quickly.

When cooled slightly, turn out onto a cooling rack and resist the temptation to try before they’ve had a chance to cool down!

Featured with much admiration over on instagram here make sure you follow us for more like this!

Thank you Nigel Slater and the BBC for the full recipe with nuts here.

Ali also writes for www.KidsChaos.com and www.FunCraftsKids.com