master bakers

Home-grown rhubarb from the little vegetable patch in our back garden

This year we planted our own rhubarb. Do you want to see what we made with it?

This is Wholemeal Rhubarb Banana Walnut Bread. And here is the recipe... Jamrobber style:

Wholemeal Rhubarb Banana Walnut Bread

Ingredients:

* 2 cups wholemeal flour

* 1 cup plain flour (original recipe: 2 plain flour, 1 wholemeal)

* 1 crushed weetabix biscuit (original recipe: 1/4 cup wheat germ -i had none!)

* 2 teaspoons baking soda

* 1 teaspoon baking powder

* 2 whole eggs

* 4 mashed bananas (original recipe: 3)

* 1/4 cup milk

* 3/4 cup vegetable oil

* 1 1/4 cups brown sugar

* 1 teaspoon cinnamon (oringial recipe: 2 teaspoons)

* 1/2 teaspoon allspice

* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

* 2 teaspoons vanilla

* 2 1/2 cups diced rhubarb

* 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Have you got your aprons on? OK, then... let's begin:

1. Preheat oven to 175ºC (350ºF). Lightly grease one 11-inch ring-shaped cake mold (or two 9-inch loaf pans).

2. Mix together the flours, crushed weetabix (or wheatgerm), baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

3. Get your mixer out and fool around with your reflections in the metal bowl for a while...

4. Get your trusty assistants to peel the bananas and mush them up.

5. Mix together the mashed banana, eggs, milk, brown sugar, oil and vanilla until fluffy.

6. Play around with your miniature assistants a little more...

7. Making time for play may (or may not) help you to keep your giddy apron-clad offspring from pushing each other around the kitchen and causing unwanted havoc. *though i obviously cannot guarantee that*

8. Add the flour mixture to wet mixture and blend well

9. Clean and dice your crunchy fresh rhubarb.

10. Stir in the diced rhubarb and walnuts.

11. Take a self portrait... just for fun.

12. Pour the mixture into your ring mold (or divide the mixture between the two loaf pans).

13. Bake at 175ºC (or 370ºF) for about 50 minutes. Cooking time may vary (and may take a little longer if baking the batter in one large tin) so check that the bread is cooked through by inserting a skewer or toothpick. If it comes out clean, it's done.

14. Allow the bread to cool in the mold for about ten minutes. Then remove carefully and allow to cool fully on a wire rack.

15. Slice and eat... Marvel at the wonderful rhubarb-banana-walnut combination and wonder why you never thought of making it before. Decide that this is your new favourite variation of banana bread.

16. Clean up the mess. Then eat some more of your tantalizing creation!

* * * * *

Bonus recipe: If you have extra rhubarb left over. Chop it up. Throw it in a pie tin. Sprinkle it with sugar. Mix some muesli (approx. 2 cups) with wholemeal flour (1/4 cup), butter (1/3 cup) and some honey, golden syrup or maple syrup. Press muesli mix on top of rhubarb and bake for approx. 30 minutes or until golden brown. Hey presto: rhubarb crumble!