Banana Loaf

4 ripe bananas

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp sugar

125g butter, room temperature

1 tsp finely grated lemon rind

¾ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½-¾ cup milk

2 cups SR flour

Optional Icing

90g butter

⅔cup sifted icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Chopped walnuts to garnish

Pre-heat oven to 180⁰C.

Mash and sprinkle bananas with sugar and lemon juice. Put aside.

Cream butter and sugar and lemon rind.

Add eggs, beating after each addition.

Mix in bananas.

Dissolve bicarb soda in milk.

Add flour and milk in alternate lots (I always seem to need more milk that the half cup

Bake in oven for about 50 minutes in a greased and floured tin

Leave in tin for a 5 minutes after taking from oven

Turn on a wire rack to completely cool.

Cream the second portion of butter and sugar, add vanilla and then icing sugar

You might need a little milk if icing sugar is too stiff

Ice cake when cold and garnish with walnuts

The Story Behind the Recipe

This was the first recipe written into the Blue Book which started in 1980. It served as the all time favourite afternoon tea up until early 1989 when the nearly three year old Living Doll discovered flour play in the kitchen when helping me make play doh. It is still well liked, today. The MOTH was hankering for a piece just last night.

In 1989, we (meaning The Living Doll) started making scones (with my help) every second day until about a 6 months later I mentioned that I was sick of making them so could we please make some biscuits instead.

"Mummy, you know how to make biscuits?" asked the then 5 year old Crown Prince, in wide-eyed wonder.

The kids routinely made biscuits for afternoon tea every Monday afternoon until the last child left home in 2004. The only shop bought biscuits we ever had in the house were Nice biscuits used for a cheese cake base. Much to their disgust, only 2 buiscuits were only allowed per child per (just like on Wednesday nights only two slices of pizza were allowed with salad for dinner). My kids were and still are what I describe as 'serious eaters'!

We had scones or banana loaf most Sunday afternoons.

To finish the memory: even now, the Princess Royale will call on a Wednesday or Sunday afternoon and say that she is picking up fresh cream and The Living Doll and that she is on the way over to my house and could I please put on some scones for afternoon tea?

I'm a lucky mum!