Ok so I am going to admit something that will sound unusual considering the title of this post but; I don't like bananas. Let me explain, Peeling a fresh yellow banana and biting into it makes me want to gag. The texture, the smell, the stringy bits... Just gross.
However, I do like banana flavoured things and bananas cooked in things. When I buy bananas I spend a full week planning potential banana flavoured treats as I impatiently wait for them to turn all sad and brown. I really wish you could buy gross brown bananas for a huge discount somewhere, maybe my local market will cut me a deal?
I also read this week that Scarlet Johansson's super power is muffin baking! She told E! online that "I can make blueberry, banana chocolate chip…it's like a superpower, just more fattening, I guess." She doesn't really look like she eats many muffins but it did make me feel quite "Hollywood" while baking these badboys...
Ingredients
2 large eggs
125ml olive oil
200g golden caster sugar
½ tsp almond extract
3 small over-ripe bananas
220g plain flour
30g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb of soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp mixed spice
100g white chocolate chips
sprinkling of flaked almonds to top.
You start off by mixing the eggs, oil, sugar and almond extract together, followed by the mashed up bananas.
Then you sift in the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, bicarb, mixed spice and salt and fold this gently into the mixture.
Then you add the white chocolate chips and gently fold these in too.
Spoon the mixture into the cases up to just before the brim and top with the flaked almonds.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and springy to touch and a knife comes out clean.
The result is a decadent and tasty muffin!
I really want to try some more healthy muffin options, what do you do to make your baking more healthy? Any suggestions for fat replacements or maybe adding bran or wheatgerm? Help!
I've no idea what she means by "superpower" but your muffins look lovely nonetheless. I am definitely an over ripe banana hater!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to meeting you tomorrow at Blog Camp!
Wow, these look and sound completely amazing.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos!
ReplyDeleteWholemeal flour is my trick to making my muffins seem healthy - or making savoury muffins. They must be better for me if they're not sweet, right?
Some of the stalls in my market chuck the brown ones.
ReplyDeleteYOu can speed the process up by a quick freeze and defrost.
I love bananas in baking and these muffins look delicious!! I buy bananas in bulk and wait for them to ripen so I can make something with them! I don't mind eating them but I much prefer baking with them. It would be great if you wanted to enter these to AlphaBakes as we are baking with "B" this month http://themorethanoccasionalbaker.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/alphabakes-april-2012-b.html
ReplyDeleteps healthier bakes - wholemeal flour or spelt flour, add oats, less oil but low fat yoghurt or blitzed whole fruit.
Some of my favourite muffins are bran loaf muffins. My grandma made bran loaf when I was little, which I loved despite it being quite healthy. I turned it into muffins a few years ago. There's a fair bit of sugar in, but no oil or butter. You could reduce the sugar... I never quite got round to a super healthy version...
ReplyDeleteIts Looks So Yummy Tasty
ReplyDeleteLike It