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Plum

November 27, 2013

‘Fruitdrop’ Pear & Plum Banana Bread

This week I’ve had a much-needed health kick whilst getting through a huge box of fruit delivered to me by a company called Fruitdrop. The children got very excited about seeing all the fruit and have been eating much more of it too, usually in the way of fruit salads and a quick morning smoothie. We do eat a lot of fruit in general, but I think seeing a big box bursting with a huge variety of fruit sparked additional interest. The box contained red and white grapes, clementines, apples, pears, melon, kiwi fruit, mango, bananas, plums and a lemon – around fifty pieces of fruit in total. My Fruidrop box arrived in pristine condition and even though we are getting through it (with the help of a couple of batches of this fruity Pear and Plum Banana Bread) it has lasted us well over a week.

FruitDdop

The kids really love banana bread as an after school snack and so I very often whip up a batch for them. With all the extra fruit to hand, I decided to layer up some of the pears and plums within the loaf itself, also serving it with some extra fruit.

Plum and Pear Banana Bread

Fruitdrop is mainly aimed at office initiatives, with a suggestion of ordering enough fruit for 2-4 pieces per person per week, with a fruit box starting at £20. You can also order milk to go along with your fruit delivery and deliveries take place all over the UK on an ad hoc or more regular basis. The fruit is handpicked by Fruitdrop and sourced from wholesale markets from within the UK (although not all of the fruit was British grown). Fruitdrop also guarantee to replace any fruit if you find any damaged or over-ripe.

Fruitdrop-7

Print

Pear & Plum Banana Bread

Prep 15 mins

Cook 60 mins

Total 1 hour, 15 mins

Author Ren Behan

Yield 6 -8

A quick and easy extra fruit banana bread recipe for the family (or your co-workers!) to enjoy. You can also use apples, or blueberries as one of the layers.

Ingredients

  • 150g unsalted butter (plus a bit extra for greasing)
  • 100g soft brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 200g self raising flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon (plus extra for dusting)
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 bananas, mashed
  • 120g sour cream
  • 1 pear, ripe, sliced
  • 2 plums, ripe, stone removed, sliced

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 5. Grease the inside of a loaf tin with a little butter and line with a sheet of baking paper.
  2. Using an electric whisk, beat the butter with the sugar, eggs and vanilla.
  3. Sift in the dry ingredients and stir with a metal spoon. Stir in the mashed bananas and sour cream.
  4. Add one third of the mixture to the loaf tin and spread out using the back of a spoon. Next, add a layer of pear. Then a further third of the mixture followed by a layer of plum. Add the rest of the mixture and flatten the top. Dust with a little extra cinnamon.
  5. Bake the loaf for 1 hour. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for ten minutes before carefully taking it out to cool on a wire rack. Serve when warm or cold with extra fruit on the side. .

Other fruity recipe you might like to try with a fruit box –

You could adapt this Late Summer Fruit Salad with Pomegranate and Pistachio

Or, perhaps try these Toffee Apple Tarts, adding in some pears, too.

You could also use the pears to make these delicious Pear and Chocolate Brownies

 

With thanks to Fruitdrop for the delivery of fruit for me to review.

Pear & Plum Banana Bread Recipe commission in collaboration with Fruitdrop.

December 5, 2012

Spiced Cranberry and Plum Chutney

Keep or Give: Christmas Spiced Cranberry and Plum Chutney

It’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas…and it snowed today! A snowy day calls for staying home, keeping warm and making a big pan of Christmas Spiced Cranberry and Plum Chutney. It is so easy to make (less than twenty minutes and it’s done) and it goes with a whole host of Christmas goodies – your Christmas day roast, cold cuts, a baked Camembert or brie…which is what we’re having tonight with a warm baguette and a glass of red wine. Or, if you are getting ahead and are gift making, you can jar it up, add a pretty label and you’ll have another present ticked off your list. Keep or Give? Luckily this recipe makes two jars!

Spiced Plum Chutney

Spiced Cranberry and Plum Chutney

Print

Christmas Spiced Cranberry and Plum Chutney

Prep 5 mins

Cook 15 mins

Total 20 mins

Author Ren Behan

Ingredients

  • 300g/three cups fresh cranberries
  • 3-4 fresh plums, stones removed, chopped
  • 175g/one cup demerera sugar
  • Grated zest of 2 clementines
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger or half a teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2-3 tbsp brandy, cherry brandy or port

Instructions

  1. Take a large, wide sauce pan and add your cranberries, plums, demerera sugar, spices, red wine vinegar and brandy or port.
  2. Stir together well, bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir every now and again and make sure it doesn't stick or burn.
  3. In the meantime, sterilize your jars by putting them through a dishwasher cycle or by washing them in warm soapy water, rinsing well and placing them in an oven at gas mark 4, 350°F, 180°C, for 5 minutes.
  4. Leave to cool slightly and then carefully take out the two whole cinnamon sticks and spoon your chutney into jars.
  5. Cover with waxed discs, seal with the lids and label.

Notes

This makes 2 x jam jars of chutney. Once opened store the chutney in the fridge. The chutney will keep for up to six months.

Spiced Cranberry and Plum Chutney

Tonight, I’m taking part in week 3 of the Booths Cheers Challenge. For the past few weeks, at 7pm, we’ve all been cracking open our bottles and sharing our best tips as well as our wine and beer matches. Today, a bottle of Croft Finest Reserve Port arrived – a little of which went into my chutney, the rest is stashed for Christmas tipples. We also received a very special bottle of Chateau Lagarde Bellevue Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2009. I’ll be trying this with my baked Camembert and Christmas Spiced Cranberry and Plum Chutney. Follow the #BoothsCheers and join me!

Spiced Cranberry and Plum Chutney

Although the cranberries are not in season in the UK, they are in season in America! The plums and clementines were from my fruit bowl, so I’m linking this post up to the super-seasonal Karen who is hosting December’s Simple and in Season at Lavender and Lovage. I promise you November’s round up very soon!

I’m also linking up to December’s festive One Ingredient Challenge hosted by Nazima at Franglais Kitchen which is ginger – I used ginger spice – hope that counts. You could use half a teaspoon of grated fresh ginger in place of the ground!

Ginger

And one more, also linking up one of my photos to the No Croutons Required Christmas special! Thanks Jac.

With many thanks to Booths Country for hosting the #BoothsCheers challenges and for their 12 Days of Christmas parcels

You could also make as gifts –

Rumtopf of Rum Pot with Seasonal Fruit

Pomegranate and Vanilla Vodka

Polish Spiced Christmas Cookies

Have you had any snow this week?

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