Banana bread

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.

Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 1-litre loaf tin with a little butter – I use a folded-up piece of kitchen paper to do this.

In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to beat the soft butter until creamy.

Crack in the eggs and beat them with the butter. It might look a little lumpy but don't worry, it will come back together later.

Peel 3 of the bananas, then mash and smush them into the mix with a fork so you've got a mixture of smooth and chunky.

Stir in the honey and the apple juice, then use a spatula to fold in the flour and cinnamon, taking care not to over mix.

If using, chop the pecans on a chopping board using the cross-chop method (or you could bash them with a rolling pin), then fold them through the mixture.

Spoon all the mixture into the loaf tin, then peel and slice the remaining banana and poke into the top. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. To check if it's done, stick a cocktail stick or skewer into the middle of the loaf, remove it after 5 seconds and if it comes out clean the loaf's cooked; if it's slightly sticky it needs a bit longer.

Allow the loaf to cool slightly, then carefully turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Transfer to a nice plate, cut into slices, then serve. It's delicious spread with butter, honey, your favourite jam or even chocolate spread. Have fun!