Banana bread with passionfruit butter

Photography by Mark Roper

Escape the hustle and bustle with this exotic breakfast that will satisfy your tastebuds.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 1 2/3 cups (250g) plain flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
• 1/3 firmly packed cup (65g) brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 bananas, mashed

• Passionfruit butter

• 250g cream cheese
• 1/3 cup (4 tbs) good-quality lemon curd (see note)
• 1/4 cup (40g) icing sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup fresh passionfruit pulp (from about 4 passionfruit)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C and grease and line a 10cm x 20cm loaf pan. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl, then stir in sugars and cinnamon. Add eggs, vanilla and banana and stir until well combined. Spread into prepared pan.

2. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

3. Meanwhile for the butter, place cheese, lemon curd and sugar in a food processor. Pulse briefly until just combined (don't overwork or it'll be too runny). Add the passionfruit and pulse 2-3 times to combine. Chill until ready to serve. (Passionfruit butter will keep in a sealed container for up to 1 week in the fridge.)

4. Slice the banana bread and serve with the passionfruit butter.

Notes

• Good-quality lemon curd is available from delis and gourmet shops.

Brekky bars

Photography by Ben Dearnley

These breakfast bars are full of the goodness you need to start off the day.

Makes

18 pieces

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup self-raising flour
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup sultanas
• 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
• 3/4 cup low-fat milk
• 1 egg

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 3cm-deep, 17cm x 27cm (base) slice pan. Line with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang at long ends.

2. Combine flour, coconut, sugar, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sultanas and apricot in a bowl. Whisk milk and egg together in a jug. Add to flour mixture. Mix to combine.

3. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Smooth top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until firm. Stand slice in pan for 15 minutes. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 18 pieces. Serve.

Notes

Incorporate oats into a crumble topping for extra crunch or use processed oats instead of regular breadcrumbs.