Banana Chocolate cake

Banana and Chocolate cake

A ‘healthy’ cake for parents and kids to make together and so simple there is no excuse not to make it! It’s great fun too as all the ingredients are squashed together with a potato masher! 
If you're making it on your own, it works just as well in the food-processor.

Preparation: 20 minutes. 
Cooking time: approx. 1 hour. 



INGREDIENTS 

450 g. self-raising flour 

1 level teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda 

325 g. soft brown sugar 

175 g. butter or margarine, softened 

3 large eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

6 ripe bananas 

6-8 tablespoons milk 

200 g. chocolate chips or a bar of good quality milk chocolate 

(each square cut into about four pieces) 


METHOD

1. Grease and line a small roasting tin, roughly 25 x 30 cms. 

2. Measure the dry ingredients and put everything into a bowl except the milk and chocolate.

3. Mash away using a potato masher, squashing and mixing all the ingredients well. 

4. Add enough milk to make a soft dropping consistency and then stir in the lumps of chocolate (if you can’t be bothered to chop up all the chocolate, you can melt it with a tablespoon of milk, and add it that way).

5. Put the mixture into the tin and bake at about 160°C for about an hour or until the cake is cooked through, yet moist.

Jelly Oranges? Orange Jellies? - You work it out!

These are a family favourite! We always make them for Birthday parties, but they're also good for picnics, barbecues, cake sales, etc. However, if possible, it's better to transport them as they are and slice them up in situ, as the jelly can fall out of the wedges on bumpy journeys!
Start by chopping your oranges in half, and juicing them. Be sure to keep the shell intact.
Using a teaspoon, gently scrape the remaining pith and fiber away until you are left with a clean half-orange peel shell.
Place these in a tray and make up your jelly/jello according to instructions. You may want to use slightly less water to encourage a firmer jelly.
Refrigerate for a few hours, or overnight, to allow jelly to set.
Then slice into wedges, and serve.