Name: Toasted banana bread with vanilla ricotta & raspberries
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 140g butter softened; 140g light muscovado sugar; 2 large eggs; 2-3 very ripe bananas; zest ½ lemon; 1 tsp vanilla bean paste; 85g buttermilk; 225g self-raising flour; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda; 250g tub ricotta; 3 tsp vanilla bean paste; juice 2 oranges 1 zested; zest and juice 2 oranges; 85g granulated sugar; 600g raspberries

Toasted banana bread with vanilla ricotta & raspberries

For the banana bread

For the vanilla ricotta

250g tub ricotta
3 tsp vanilla bean paste
juice 2 oranges
1 zested

For the raspberry compote

zest and juice 2 oranges
85g granulated sugar
600g raspberries

Method

step 1
Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line the base of a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment. Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, one at a time. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork, add to the bowl with the lemon zest, vanilla and buttermilk, and stir.
step 2
Mix together the flour, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda. Fold into the banana mix, one-third at a time, until just combined and add to the tin. Bake for 1 hr until firm, golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
step 3
While the banana bread is baking, make the vanilla ricotta. Tip the ricotta into a bowl and mix with the vanilla bean paste, orange zest and 90ml orange juice until just combined. Cover and chill.
step 4
To make the raspberry compote, heat the orange zest, 5 tbsp orange juice, the sugar and 225g of the raspberries in a saucepan over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for 5 mins, then pour through a sieve into a bowl. Stir through the rest of the raspberries, cover and chill.
step 5
When you are ready to serve, take the raspberry compote out of the fridge to bring to room temperature. Slice the cooled banana bread into 8 pieces and toast under a medium grill until lightly caramelised. Serve each slice with a spoonful of vanilla ricotta and a drizzle of raspberry compote.