Bitter Chocolate, Lavender, and Banana Tea Loaf

This is an updated version of an old favorite. Still a wonderful comfort food. Cut a slice and slather with some creamy butter; sit and enjoy with a cup of your favorite cuppa tea!

Step: 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 5x9-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper.

Step: 2

Beat banana, sugar, butter, and shortening together until smooth; mix in eggs. Stir fresh orange zest, dried orange peel, nutmeg, and vanilla extract into mixture. Gradually stir flour into moist ingredients. Fold chocolate and lavender into batter. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle coarse sugar crystals over batter.

Step: 3

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Per Serving: 442 calories; protein 5.6g; carbohydrates 48.1g; fat 27g; cholesterol 68.4mg; sodium 253.5mg.

The best flavour of the flour could make a real deal to your bread. Different brands do vary. Great taste or Canadian flours, which are bet higher in gluten, may give you a best rise than standard dough flours – especially if you’re making wholemeal dough , which not always rise as well as white bread.

To made this in a breadmaker , add all the menus to your breadmaker and follow the makers instructions.

A dough’s first rising can be make in the fridge 24 hours . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great timesaver , as you can start it yesterday , then clear it off the next day.