Banana Tahini Bites Recipes

SESAME, DATE AND BANANA CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius. Grease an 8-inch/20-centimeter aluminum springform cake pan with butter, and line the base and sides with parchment paper.
• Make the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together tahini and orange juice, and then stir in dates, bananas and sesame seeds, separating the date and banana pieces as you add them to the bowl so they don't clump together. Set aside.
• Put butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, in two additions, until combined, scraping the bowl down as needed.
• In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, then add to the stand mixer bowl and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, just to combine. Add tahini-date mixture with the speed still on low and mix until blended, then spoon the batter into the cake pan and smooth the top.
• Transfer cake to oven and bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Without removing it from the oven, carefully cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil. Continue to bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake is cooked through and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside to cool in the pan on a wire rack.
• While the cake is baking, make the icing: Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk for 1 to 2 minutes, on medium speed, until combined and airy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to mix thoroughly. Set aside until cake has cooled.
• Make the caramelized bananas: Heat broiler on its highest setting, with a rack placed about 4 inches/10 centimeters beneath the heat source. Arrange banana slices closely together on a small baking pan and sprinkle generously with sugar. Broil bananas for 2 to 3 minutes, until sugar has melted and caramelized. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
• To assemble, remove the cake from the pan and transfer to a plate. Spread icing generously over the top of the cake. Arrange the caramelized bananas on top, then drizzle with date syrup.

BANANA & TAHINI PORRIDGE

Steps:

• Mix the tahini with 1 tbsp milk and 1 tbsp water. Put the oats, 1 sliced banana, cardamom, 100ml milk and 300ml water in a pan with a pinch of salt. Cook over a medium heat for 5 mins, stirring, until creamy and hot.
• Divide between two bowls. Pour over the remaining milk, then top with the remaining sliced banana. Drizzle over the tahini mixture and sprinkle over the toasted sesame seeds.

TAHINI BANANA CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/ gas 5. Butter and line a 20cm square cake tin with baking parchment.
• Beat the butter, sugar and tahini together until pale and smooth. Beat in the eggs a little at a time, then add the vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ½ tsp salt together, then fold into the butter mixture. Stir in the milk. Carefully fold in the banana and sesame seeds, then spoon the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 40-50 mins until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly in the tin, then lift out and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• To make the buttercream topping, beat all the ingredients, except the chocolate chips, together until smooth. Spread this over the cooled cake, then scatter over the chocolate chips and cut the cake into squares or rectangles to serve.