Banana Tart

Blissful Banana Tart 

So you bought a dozen bananas and they are ripening too quickly, you could probably eat 2 a day … ever wondered what to do with them without having to discard them too soon?

Yes, you could prepare banana smoothies or bake a banana cake or bake some banana muffins.   

I have a fun, super easy and not to mention, a delicious recipe to share.  It can be prepared in a really short space of time, it’s my Blissful Banana Tart.  I refer to it as “blissful” because it gives me great joy to bake this tart and I feel happy doing so!

Blissful Banana Tart Recipe 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Baking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

400g puff pastry

All-purpose flour for dusting

3 ripened bananas

20g dark chocolate

2 teaspoons smooth peanut butter

Icing sugar for dusting

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees Celsius. Line a baking tray with grease-proof paper and set it aside.
2. To prepare a chocolate and peanut butter spread, in a small bowl combine the melted dark chocolate and peanut butter.
3. On a lightly floured surface, gently roll out the pastry until slightly thinner.  Remember to work quickly. The pastry must be as cold as possible as puff pastry is made with loads of butter.
4. Cut into 3 even sized strips, about 12cm wide or as required.  I have used store bought puff pastry as it was available in the perfect quantity required.  Store bought or ready-made puff pastry is economical and easily obtainable.

5. Smear the spread onto the centre of the strips of pastry leaving about 3cm away from the  edges.

6. Slice up the bananas, then layer evenly over the chocolate and peanut butter spread. I used 1 banana per strip of pastry.
7. Using a knife, create slits on the sides of each strip of pastry. 

8. Fold in the top and bottom of each strip and close up the tarts folding in one slit at a time. 

9. Gently place the tarts on the baking tray.

10. To create a light brown, glossy texture on the pastry, prepare an egg wash by beating 1 egg and a little water. Brush the egg wash over the pastry lightly before placing into the oven to bake. 
11.  As an alternative and a vegetarian option, brush the pastry with milk before placing into the oven.
12. Bake for +/- 25 minutes.
13. Once baked, carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool.  Dust lightly with icing sugar, slice up and enjoy!

Some interesting facts about bananas

• Bananas are one of the most popular fruits in the word and consumed in just about      every household.
• Bananas are relatively cheap.
• India is one of the largest producers of Bananas in the world.
• It takes about 45 minutes to digest a banana.
• Bananas keep you fuller for longer, hence it’s often included in breakfast menus.          
• Great for weight loss.
• Bananas are nutrition packed, hence very important to be included in your diet.
• High in potassium, bananas aid in the relief of high blood pressure issues.
• When suffering from chest burn, bananas provide great relief as an antacid.
• Have a headache, eat a banana as it is rich in magnesium.
• A bunch of bananas is called a hand and a single banana is a finger - interesting isn’t it?