Banana muffins

I’m at a loss. Definitely. Kaja sent me some recipes, but I didn’t read them. Well, see for yourselves. Here’s Kaja’s post. Doesn’t it feel like it never quite ends? So now we’re in a bit of a pickle. Or rather, a batch of banana muffins.

“Muffins, if you ask me, are the sort of cakes you simply can’t mess up. And they’re delicious, easy and big (so you can eat one with a clear conscience, feel full and still tell yourself you only had one little cake, after all…). I don’t think anyone’s ever told me they don’t like them. I can also say mine are miles better than the shop-bought ones, even the ones in cafés. What can I say?

You can also use them as a base for all sorts of fancy toppings. Once I used milk caramel: I stirred some ready-made caramel from a tin with a big spoon to get rid of the lumps and spread it over the cooled muffins. Another time I crowned them with whipped cream and decorated them with pink sugar flowers (they were a present for a party with little kids).”

At a glance: 

Prep time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 20–25 minutes

Oven temperature: 180 degrees Celsius

Serves: makes 12 muffins

Calories: probably plenty, but as I said, if you only eat one your body won’t even register it…

Ingredients for the muffins:

• 200 g softened butter (ideally, leave it out an hour beforehand)
• 200 g icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 2 eggs
• 2 ripe bananas (mashed with a fork)
• 100 g walnuts (chopped into small pieces, but not too small)
• 300 g wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda 
• 1 heaped teaspoon of cinnamon

How to make a little something with bananas:

Heat the oven to 180°C and get the baking tray and paper muffin cases ready. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is incorporated. Add the fork-mashed bananas and chopped walnuts.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, then add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix thoroughly with the electric mixer. Spoon equal portions of batter into the cases. I use a small ladle, but an ice cream scoop works well too.

Bake for 20–25 minutes or until risen and golden. The best way to check is to stick a skewer into the middle after 20 minutes. If it comes out dry, they’re ready. If it’s wet, bake for a few more minutes. All done! Enjoy!

Did I mention you can eat them warm too? 🙂