Mini Coffee Walnut Banana Bread

These mini breakfast breads are a combination of a coffee and walnut cake and a banana bread - what more could you ever need for breakfast? Oh hang on, that's right, dollops of cream cheese frosting on top with a drizzle of syrup. Rise and shine!

A friend once told me that I liked trivial things. He was completely right. An example of how much I love to talk about nothing is some of the conversations I've had with friends. While at times we talk about deep and meaningful things, other times we complain about silly things. Like why (said in a whiny whyyyyyyy?) is there no cheese or bacon emoji and how there are a whole host of emojis that are useless and just taking up space where more valuable and useful emojis (cheese and bacon) could be.

Apparently some people communicate entirely with emojis eschewing text. This can get creative and leads into emojis with different or double meanings. And of course the conversation turned to sexting. Apparently eight out of ten Americans between the ages of 18 and 82 sext (according to Drexel University which I've never heard of but hey it sounds like a fun uni). And apparently in this world, an eggplant or banana doesn't necessarily mean the produce!

Of course I could think of nothing but double meanings when I peeled these bananas. Lately because of the hot weather I've found that bananas have ripened very quickly, faster than we can eat them and to avoid those pesky fruit flies I decided to make some mini banana bread loaves.

I started thinking about flavour combinations and coffee and walnut came to mind as banana bread is something usually had with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning and I like to add walnuts to banana bread. The cream cheese frosting is just one of those things that I decided to add just because I had some already open in my fridge but dare I say it's a must add, not optional for these adorable little banana breads!

And just watch out if a friend offers you an eggplant or banana ;)

So tell me Dear Reader, do you use emojis? Is there one that you use a lot? And is there one that you think is missing? ANd have you ever sexted? Go on, tell us! ;)

Mini Coffee Walnut Banana Bread

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott/Not Quite Nigella

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

• 1 3/4 cups plain all purpose flour (I used half wholemeal and half regular)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 125ml/4.4ozs. oil (not olive oil, a flavourless oil)
• 1/2 cup coffee, cooled
• 1/2 cup buttermilk, sour cream or yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup banana puree
• 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped, toasted

Frosting

• 3/4 cup icing sugar, sifted
• 150g/5.3ozs. cream cheese, softened
• 75g/2.6ozs. butter, softened, cut into cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped, toasted
• Golden syrup, maple syrup or honey to drizzle

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 160C/320F. Line 8 mini loaf tin tray on the base and sides. Place the flour, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl and whisk to get rid of any lumps and to combine. In a jug measure the oil, coffee, buttermilk and whisk in the eggs and banana puree. Make a well in the centre in the dry ingredients and add in the wet mixture and the walnuts. Stir to combine.

Step 2 - Scoop into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.

Step 3 - Place the icing sugar in a food processor and process to get rid of any lumps. Add the cream cheese, butter and vanilla bean paste and process until you get a smooth icing. Place in a piping bag with a small plain tip. Pipe on top of cooled banana breads. Place walnuts on top and drizzle with syrup.