120ml Hihi Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds & 2-3 tbl spoons flax seeds

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 cup plain flour

¾ cup wholemeal flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 cups mashed bananas

Zest of 1 lemon

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1-2 tbsp poppy seeds

1/3 cup golden syrup

1 tsp baking soda (plus a tbsp or so of orange juice)

Method.

Preheat oven to 160°C fan forced or 170°C conventional. Line a medium sized loaf tin with baking paper.

Lightly toast pumpkin and flax seeds in a hot pan – put aside to cool.

Whisk eggs, brown sugar & vanilla until pale and fluffy.

Drizzle the olive oil in while still beating.

Reduce beater speed to low and add the flours, cinnamon & salt.

Add the bananas followed by the sunflower & poppy seeds and the golden syrup.

Finally fold in the baking soda dissolved in orange juice.

Pour batter into loaf tin and sprinkle pumpkin & flax seeds over the loaf.

Bake 60-70 minutes or until a bamboo skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean.

Leave in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack.

Notes:

We use fresh bananas for a moist fruity finish.

We whisk the eggs and sugar using a whisk head and then change to a ‘K’ beater head after the oil has been incorporated and for the remainder of the mixing process.

Use milk to dissolve baking soda if orange juice not available.

Remove from oven when skewer is just a wee bit wet from the middle of the loaf if you dare – if you can time this step just right the loaf will be incredibly moist.