Sticky toffee banana bread with nut brittle

BANANA BREAD JUST STEPPED UP A GEAR! A DEEP, STICKY BANANA BREAD WITHDATES AND FIGS FOR EXTRA DEPTH OF FLAVOUR, DECORATED WITH CREAMYTOFFEE SAUCE AND CRUNCHY NUT BRITTLE. * Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan/gas mark 4 and grease andline a 900g loaf tin. For the banana bread, beat together the butterand sugar until fluffy, then whisk in the eggs and bananas forFRUITINESS. * Sift over the flour and baking powder and gently fold in, followedby the figs and dates for STICKINESS. Spoon into the tin and bake for1 hour - checking after 45 minutes - until cooked through. Leave inthe tin for 10 minutes, then remove and leave to cool completely. * Meanwhile, make the toffee sauce. Heat the sugar in a pan, shakingoccasionally until evenly melted. Whisk in the butter, then removefrom the heat and gradually whisk in the cream for RICHNESS. Bring upto a simmer, then pour into a large bowl to cool and thicken. * For the brittle, melt the sugar as above. Pour across a greasedbaking sheet and quickly scatter over the nuts for CRUNCH, pressingthem down. Leave to harden, then break into shards. * To serve, spoon over the toffee sauce and decorate with the shards.