There are a few recipes that I have searched for in my extensive collection of cookbooks in the past, and always had trouble finding. Healthy muffins or loaf cakes, and good banana bread that’s not filled with sugar, are some of the recipes that you would think you would be everywhere, but I have found them harder to find than you might imagine. The internet and Pinterest have fixed all that, but often on the weekend I don’t want to wake up and look at a screen, I’d rather browse my bookshelf instead.

There is something so therapeutic about flicking through a beautiful book, pausing on certain pages and flicking past others. It allows you to indulge in your whims, and inspire dreaming in a way that’s not always related to what you are looking at. Maybe I’m old school in that way, preferring always to be lost in a book rather than lost on the internet. Funny especially as the internet is how I reach you all. One day I dream my own cookbook will be on that shelf, and hopefully on yours too…

I guess the thing about not being able to find exactly what it is that you want, is that it encourages you to figure out things for yourself. Not being able to find a recipe for banana bread or healthy muffins is probably exactly why I have made so many myself. It forced me to learn the basic principles of how to make muffins work and because I’m making it up as I go along I don’t feel locked in; there is not only one way that any recipe can turn out. Now I can take it where I like, express my whim, indulge in whatever it is that feels just right today.

Really, there are no rules. Yes, some experiments are always more successful than others, but I guess that’s just another opportunity in the making. Last weekend after a muffin experiment I learned a valuable lesson about quark – there was a delicious yet messy situation that followed in our oven. The muffins still tasted great (actually, really great), and now I know more about how quark works. And that our oven needs a really good clean.

If you like you can find any number of delicious looking recipes on the internet – you can use them as starting points for your own recipes or as sources of inspiration, or just cook them straight up, so you don’t have to think. There is a lot to be said for that. Here is just another one to add to use for inspiration or add to your collection…

Raspberry, Orange + Chocolate Banana Bread

I really like this combination of flavours – it makes for a delicious banana bread that doesn’t taste at all banana-y! Banana is really just one of the base ingredients that lends a gentle sweetness and stickiness which makes the loaf all the more soft and delicious. I love the fragrance from the orange zest, the little pops of bitter chocolate (use the darkest chips you can find, or chop some really dark chocolate from a bar) and the occasional surprise of fresh tartness from the raspberries. You could most definitely bake this into muffins, just divide the mixture into muffin cases and bake for around 18-20 minutes.

2 bananas
1/2 cup (120ml) olive oil
2 eggs
1 tbs vanilla paste
1/2 tsp liquid stevia
1 cup (145g) buckwheat flour
1 cup (90g) almond meal
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
zest of 1 large orange
2/3 cup (90g) frozen raspberries + an extra 1/3 cup (45g) for sprinkling on top (optional)
1/4 cup (55g) dark chocolate chips (make sure they are vegan if you are going dairy free)

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan forced / 180°C conventional / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
Line a loaf tin with baking paper and set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, mash the bananas with the back of a fork.
Grab a wooden spoon and stir in the olive oil, eggs, vanilla and stevia until the mixture is well mixed and uniform.
Add the buckwheat flour, almond meal, baking powder and pinch of salt and fold through until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Fold through the orange zest, 2/3 cup raspberries and chocolate chips.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and top with the extra raspberries (if using).
Bake in the centre of the oven for 50 – 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
Allow to cool slightly in the tin before turning out.
Serve warm or at room temperature with a thick smearing of butter, or a little tahini or coconut butter to keep it dairy free.

My love for loaf cakes, muffins and banana bread cannot be denied; I love them so because they are easy to make, endlessly versatile in flavour combinations and make a little something special to pop in everyone’s lunchbox the following day. Of course kids also love them, so variations on this theme are something I love to whip up for afternoon tea on a fairly regular basis. If you’re looking for more recipes to add to your afternoon tea repertoire, you might like to try one of my other loaf or muffin recipes. Click on any of the photos to take you directly to there :