Pumpkin, stem ginger and banana loaf
Pumpkins and squashes herald the start of autumn, when thoughts turn to cooking warming, nourishing food. This is when these versatile ingredients shine. Varieties are countless, but worth a special mention are crown prince, butternut and - my favourite - delica, with its dense, intensely sweet, rich and buttery flesh. Always look for bright skin without blemishes and ensure it is firm to the touch. This is an absolute winner, especially when still a little warm. Banana is tried and tested in loaves, pumpkin less so - but the combination is delicious. I had to stop myself adding more ginger, but I think this is just the right balance. It is great for elevenses or afternoon tea.
Yield
This recipe serves 6.
Ingredients
Step 1
Heat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/mark 4. Place the diced pumpkin and Its caster sugar in a bowl and mix well. Wrap in foil and place on a roasting tray in the oven to cook en papillote for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, still wrapped in the foil.
Step 2
Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/ mark 6. Grease a 1lb (450g) loaf tin and line with baking paper or a reusable loaf tin liner.
Step 3
Cream the butter, the oil, all the muscovado sugar and the remaining caster sugar in a bowl with an electric hand mixer. Then add the egg and the crème fraîche and mix well.
Step 4
Sift the flour and the baking powder into a bowl and add a pinch of salt. Gradually add the flour mix into the creamed butter mix, and beat again until well combined.
Step 5
Finally beat in the banana, the cooked pumpkin, the vanilla extract and the stem ginger, until well combined.
Step 6
Pour the mixture into the loaf tin, and bake in the centre of the oven for 50 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave in the tin to cool a little, before serving warm with dollops of crème fraîche.
