Banana Pancakes

Ingredients (serves 4)
1 1/4 cups (160g) plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp caster sugar
375ml can of light and creamy evaporated milk
1 egg
20g unsalted butter, melted
3 small ripe bananas, roughly chopped
Lime butter syrup
150g palm sugar, finely grated
60g butter
2 limes, juiced, zest cut into thin strips

Method
Sift flour and baking powder into a medium bowl. Stir in sugar. Whisk milk, egg, and melted butter together. Stir into flour until smooth. Fold through banana.
Heat a small non-stick frying pan over low-medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of batter, cover with a lid and cook for 30 seconds or until golden brown. Flip pancake over and cook for another minute. Transfer to a plate and cover up to keep them warm. Repeat with remaining batter.
To prepare syrup, place palm sugar and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir for 2 minutes until thick and bubbling. Whisk in lime juice and zest - be careful as this will spatter - boil for 20 seconds and remove from heat.
Serve pancakes with ice cream and drizzled with syrup.

Banana Hoon Kuey

Ingredients:
• 2-3 bananas (steamed till they are slightly soft) – you can use more bananas if you want more bananas in the kueh.
• 1 packet of green bean powder
• 1 ¼ litres of coconut milk or milk or soy bean milk
• 200 grams of granulated (fine) sugar
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• Aluminium foil or clear plastic sheets or banana leaves for wrapping

Directions:
1) Cut banana leaves into the desired size which you can use to wrap into a rectangular or square shape.
2) Peel bananas and steamed them till slightly soft. **(careful, don’t steam them till too soft)
3) Put the cooked bananas aside and cut them to bite size pieces.
4) Dilute the packet of green bean powder with half of the coconut milk and set it aside.
5) Boil remaining coconut milk in a small pot with sugar and salt. Add the green bean flour mixture which was done earlier on. Keep stirring until the mixture turns thick and it is done.
6) Take a sheet of the cut banana leaves, place 1 tablespoon of the cooked mixture on it, then add a slice of banana and add another 1 tablespoon of mixture to cover the banana.
7) Wrap the mixture into a rectangle or square shape and set them aside to cool. You have to be quick in wrapping all the kueh as the mixture will set easily in the pot.
8) Once all the kueh have cool down, put them into the fridge. Once they are set, serve them cold.

Banana Bread

Ingredients (serves 10)
Melted low-fat dairy spread, to grease
265g (1 3/4 cups) self-raising flour
40g (1/4 cup) plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
140g (2/3 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
125ml (1/2 cup) skim milk
2 eggs, lightly whisked
50g butter, melted, cooled
2 overripe medium bananas, mashed

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush an 11 x 21cm (base measurement) loaf pan with melted dairy spread to lightly grease. Line the base and 2 opposite sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing it to overhang.

2. Sift the combined flours and cinnamon into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre.

3. Place the milk, eggs, melted butter and banana in a medium bowl, and stir until well combined. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into slices to serve.

Notes & tips
This banana bread will keep in an airtight container out of direct sunlight for up to 3 days. Alternatively, place in an airtight container, then label, date and freeze for up to 1 month. Place in the fridge overnight to thaw.

Banana Cake

Ingredients
125g butter/margarine
3/4 cup castor sugar
Teaspoon vanilla essence
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas
1 1/2 cups Self Raising flour
1/4 Teaspoon bi-carb soda
1/4 cup milk

Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Cream butter, sugar and essence then beat in eggs one at a time.
3. Mash bananas with fork.
4. Add bananas to mixture and beat in.
5. Fold in sifted flour and soda.
6. Stir in milk.
7. Line 20cm square or similar round cake tin with baking paper.
8. Pour in mixture.
9. Bake in moderate oven - 45 mins. Slightly less for fan forced oven.
10. Let cool for 5 mins before turning out.

Icing - icing sugar mixed with margarine and philly cream cheese.