Banana bread with honeycomb butter

1.Make honeycomb butter: Line a deep oven tray with parchment paper. Heat the sugar, honey and water in a saucepan on the stove. Using a candy thermometer, keep saucepan over heat until it reaches a boiling point of 150°C.

2.Let the scalding sugar subside until the bubbles slow right down. With a whisk on hand, sift the bicarb over the sugar mixture and whisk to incorporate.

3.Once the honeycomb has stopped expanding (about 15 seconds) pour into the lined oven tray and set aside to cool.

4.Once cooled, crumb of the honeycomb and fold through the butter then set aside.

5.Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan-forced). Neatly line two loaf tins with baking paper.

6.Add butter and sugar to electric mixer bowl. Cream the sugar and butter on high speed for 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as required, until incorporated and the batter is smooth.

7.In a spice grinder, blend the spices to a fine powder and sift into the flour with the baking powder.

8.Fold into the butter, sugar and egg mixture at a time, mixing as little as possible to get the desired result. (The batter should be smooth with all ingredients completely incorporated.)

9.Chop the banana roughly and gently fold through the mixture. Distribute the mixture evenly between the two tins, tap firmly on the bench to remove any air pockets.

10.Bake for 55 minutes then rest for 5 minutes in the tins before turning out onto a rack. Cool slightly before serving with honeycomb butter.