Monday 13 July 2015

Choc Chip Banana Bread Fondant Fancies

chocolate chip banana bread fondant fancies

Shhh. don’t tell anyone but we had a non-cake club ‘Cake Club’ recently.

To explain, we had a meeting of all who usually attends the Clandestine Cake Club in Dundee, but this one was ‘off the books’ if you like.

chocolate chip banana bread fondant fancies

And because of this, we didn’t have to have it at a different venue from where we’ve been before (which gets tricky in Dundee, it’s really not that big!) and we didn’t have to insist on just big cakes. Here's what everyone else brought...



So this was right up my street. I love to make smaller treats, pretty much why Kat at the Baking Explorer and I started up ‘Treat Petite’ for anything other than big cakes, puddings, that sort of thing.

The bake I took along was inspired by a recent trip to Costa. Don’t fall down in shock, we are through and through Starbucks lovers, but on one Sunday we ended up having a bite to eat in Costa.

And there we saw a new range of Fondant Fancies they were doing, in mint choc chop flavour and raspberry ripple. I think it was a summer ice-cream thing.

However, it got me to thinking that I haven’t ever made fondant fancies before. I have seen them being made on the Bake Off, and thought they did look a bit tricky, but now was as good a time as any.

And inspired by the Costa cakes, I decided to plump on a different flavour than the norm, giving my fancies a Cakeyboi twist.

chocolate chip banana bread fondant fancies

I had some bananas in the freezer, some chocolate chips in the cupboard, so Choc Chip Banana Bread Fondant Fancies it was. The cake it self was a huge slab of banana bread with the chocolate chips and on top of that I laid some white fondant. Chocolate fondant would have been ideal here, but I couldn’t find any.


Instead of buttercream for the dollop on top, I used a piece of chocolate. You could use any sweet that you like. Perhaps a Rolo, or a Malteser for example. I had some Twirl Bites which I used.

Lastly, the icing. This was a simple mix of chocolate, butter, water and icing sugar. It coated the fancies lovely and I also added a bright yellow icing flavoured with banana, to give them that fondant fancy look. They did take a good while to set, so if you are making these for a special occasion do make them at least 24 hours in advance and keep them cool, otherwise they will melt again.

chocolate chip banana bread fondant fancies

I took the first pics when the icing was still wet and I tried one like this too, The icing, before it went hard, had the consistency of chocolate fudge cake icing which was nice, but a bit messy. You could serve it like this too if you didn’t have loads of time.

Everyone at the cake club adored the taste of banana bread with the chocolate icing. I think I may even try making some different ones nearer to Christmas time.


Here’s how I made them…

Choc Chip Banana Bread Fondant Fancies


Thumbnail Url Banana bread topped with fondant
and bathed in a chocolate icing
Cuisine: Dessert Category: Fancies Yields: 20 fancies
Prep Time: Cook Time: Total Time:
 

Ingredients
  • 3 medium ripe bananas
  • 250 grams granulated sugar
  • 125 ml vegetable oil
  • 2 medium eggs
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 250 grams plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 100 grams chocolate chips
  • Apricot Jam/Syrup/Agave Nectar or similar
  • 1 pack of ready rolled white fondant
  • 20 chocolates for top of fancies
  • 100 grams plain chocolate
  • 25 grams melted butter
  • 4 tablespoons water
  • 6 tablespoons icing sugar
 
Instructions
  1. Grease a 9”x13” cake pan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 180C.
  2. In a bowl sift together the flour, bicarb, salt and cinnamon. Set this aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until pulped. Add the sugar and vegetable oil and beat until blended.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time and stir in after each addition.
  5. Add the vanilla and beat in.
  6. Fold the flour mix into the wet mix until no dry ingredients are visible.
  7. Fold in the chocolate chips then transfer the batter to the baking pan.
  8. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the centre.
  9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before transferring to a wire rack.
  10. When fully cooled, brush the top of the cake with some warmed jam, or syrup to the top of the cake.
  11. Place the fondant on top and smooth over with your hands.
  12. Allow this to set up, for a few hours or preferably overnight.
  13. With a sharp knife, cut the banana bread slab into 20 squares.
  14. Take a chocolate, and melt the bottom slightly with a hot teaspoon. Stick this to the centre of each fancy.
  15. To make the icing, in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter with the water. Stir in the icing sugar until smooth.
  16. Patiently coat each of the fancies with the chocolate icing, using a fork to lift the cake and a spoon to pour and dab on the icing. Place on a wire rack over greaseproof paper to drip.
  17. Make simple icing from some water and icing sugar some yellow food colouring (and banana flavouring if you have any).
  18. With a spoon drizzle this over the fondant fancies.
  19. Allow to set slightly and eat with a fork if still fudgy or wait overnight again until fully set.

18 comments:

  1. They look so sweet, I love the icing! Bananas!

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  2. Your creativity strikes again. As much as I love tradition I love these more than a 'proper' fondant fancy. They're pretty cute too :)

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    Replies
    1. Aw thanks Laura, I have another up my sleeve very soon!

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  3. These as SO cool! I love them!! The yellow against the chocolate is really striking and very funky. And the combined flavours are so good..... Another genius creation Stuart!

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  4. They look good to me. There's something profoundly nostalgic about a fondant fancy and I like the banana variation.

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  5. They look Awesome and definitely going to give them a try but shhh!! don't tell my diet lol

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    1. They contain fruit they are healthy! Don't worry!!

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  6. These are fabulous! I attempted fondant fancies about 5/6 years ago before I really got into baking properly and they were a disaster. I'm inspired to have another go soon.

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  7. They look so perfect - I have always had a thing for fondant fancies!

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  8. So impressed with these Stuart, they are so tricky to make and you've totally nailed it!

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  9. Now I know what to do with my frozen bananas. looks fab. Fondant fancies is one of my guilty pleasures, but one with a bit of fruit, must be good for you, plus very very pleasing to the eye.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Shaheen - of course these are diet friendly!

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