Baked Penne with Sausage & Ricotta
A cosy baked penne packed with browned sausage, creamy ricotta, and a tomato-chilli sauce, finished with a golden parmesan crust.
Thyme & Banana Loaf with Caramel Drizzle
This banana loaf keeps all the comfort of the classic version but adds a subtle savoury fragrance from fresh thyme.
The sponge stays rich and tender, while a simple caramel drizzle brings buttery sweetness over the top. It is an easy bake that feels just unusual enough to be memorable.
Method
20m1h1h 30m
- Heat the oven to 180C or 160C fan. Line a 900g loaf tin with baking paper.
- Cream the softened butter and light brown sugar until pale. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the mashed bananas, milk and fresh thyme leaves.
- Fold in the self-raising flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt until no dry pockets remain. Spoon the batter into the tin and lay the halved banana on top.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool.
- For the caramel drizzle, place the caster sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and let it melt to a deep amber without stirring too much. Add the double cream carefully, then stir in the vanilla extract until smooth.
- Cool the caramel for a few minutes until slightly thickened, then spoon it over the cooled loaf. Finish with a few extra thyme leaves before slicing.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda
- 80 ml Double cream
- 1 Banana halved lengthways for topping
- 2 tbsp Milk
- 120 g Caster Sugar
- 150 g Light brown sugar
- 0.25 tsp Salt
- 2 Eggs beaten
- 225 g Self-raising flour
- 3 Ripe Bananas well mashed
- 0.5 tsp Vanilla extract
- 115 g Butter softened
- 2 tsp Fresh Thyme Leaves plus a few extra leaves to finish
Notes
Use very ripe bananas for the best flavour and texture. Let the caramel cool slightly before drizzling so it sits on top of the loaf rather than soaking straight in.
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