Pistachio Swirl Banana Bread

A twist on a classic. I wish I knew years ago how easy homemade pistachio paste is to make.

You will need a food processor to make your own pistachio paste. Feel free to replace it though with a store-bought pistachio paste (1/2 cup needed for this recipe). Brown sugar would be my first choice, but you can use the same quantity white sugar if you need. If you don’t have self-raising flour, you can use plain/cake/all-purpose flour with baking powder (2 teaspoons/10ml baking powder for every 1 cup/150g of flour).

Makes one large loaf - 30x11x17cm (about 15 slices)

PISTACHIO PASTE

pistachios (shelled, raw), 180g (375ml or 1 + 1/2 cup)

BANANA LOAF BATTER

bananas (ripe/overripe), 3 large or 4 small (about 450g banana flesh after peeling)

eggs, 3

brown sugar, 165g (3/4 cup)

milk, 80ml (1/3 cup)

oil, 125ml (1/2 cup) - a neutral flavour oil works well (a light olive oil or grapeseed oil)

vanilla extract or paste, 5ml (1 teaspoon)

self-raising flour, 330g (2 + 1/4 cup)

bicarbonate of soda/baking soda, 2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon)

fine salt, 2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon)

TOPPING

pistachios (chopped), about 1/4 cup

To start, preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).

Place the pistachios on a baking tray and lightly roast them in the oven for about 15 minutes until fragrant.

Remove the tray from the oven and allow the pistachios to cool.

Once cool, place them in a food processor fitted with a blade attachment.

Blend until a smooth paste forms (it will be crumbly at first, keep going until it becomes a paste - about 5 minutes of blending). Set aside until needed (it makes about 1/2 cup).

For the banana bread, grease or line (with baking paper) a large loaf tin.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork.

Add the wet ingredients including the sugar. Mix until uniform.

Add the dry ingredients, then gently mix together until just combined.

For the pistachio swirl, scoop about a 1/3 of the banana batter into a separate medium sized mixing bowl.

Add all the pistachio paste and mix until uniform (if the mixture feels too stiff, add 30ml/2 tablespoons to 60ml/4 tablespoons of extra milk until the consistency is similar to the plain banana batter).

Pour the two batters alternatively into the prepared tin.

Swirl a table knife through once or twice to create a marble effect.

Top with extra chopped pistachios before baking for approximately 45 - 60 minutes (or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean).

Delicious warm out of the oven but will keep for a couple of days stored in an airtight container at room temperature (or freezer for up to three months).