Banana bread with a curd cheese filling

Your favourite banana bread in a new version – with a curd cheese filling. Delicious! Banana bread with curd cheese, served with honey and a glass of milk, makes a perfect mid-morning snack or afternoon treat. It is simple to make, and you can also add dried fruit, such as chopped walnuts or dried cranberries. Highly recommended!

Ingredients for the banana bread:

• 3 large or 4 smaller ripe bananas (preferably very ripe), mashed
• 75 g butter, melted
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• a pinch of salt
• 1½ cups plain flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

All the ingredients should be at room temperature. Mix the flour and bicarbonate of soda, sift and set aside.

There is no need to use a mixer for this recipe. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter with the mashed bananas (simply mash them with a fork). Stir in the sugar, lightly beaten egg and vanilla. Finally, add the flour mixed with the bicarbonate of soda and salt. Mix with a fork or balloon whisk, just until the ingredients are combined.

Ingredients for the curd cheese filling:

• 150 g full-fat or semi-fat curd cheese, finely ground three times
• 50 g caster sugar
• 1 egg, separated
• 1 teaspoon potato starch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

All the ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place the curd cheese, sugar, egg yolk, potato starch and vanilla in a bowl and beat until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white until stiff peaks form. Add to the curd cheese mixture and gently fold together.

Method:

Transfer half of the banana bread batter to a loaf tin measuring 10 x 20 cm at the base and 13 x 23 cm at the top, greased with butter and lined with baking paper. Spoon the curd cheese filling down the centre, then cover with the remaining banana bread batter.

Bake at 170°C for 50–60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly in the tin.

Enjoy!