Six Little Hearts: Banana Muffins Recipe Easy Bake!

Friday, 24 July 2015

Banana Muffins Recipe Easy Bake!

*This post is brought to you in collaboration with Tefal.

It has been so cold this Winter hasn't it?! I can't remember it being so freezing in Melbourne (for at least 4 years anyway). To top it off, we've had pretty spectacular heater troubles too. Our central heating unit has properly died - maybe it was too cold for it too.

Anyway, I've been making up for the 'freeze factor' with comfort foods instead, because there's nothing quite like an extra bit of fat layer to keep the cold away...

Actually, now that I think about it, I think I'd prefer the heater to work instead!

Winter foods are truly fab though aren't they? Our slow cooker is getting a real workout, with plenty of hot curries and chunky stews. (At least something's getting a workout of sorts around here.)

I had planned to post a luscious hot soup recipe with some warming, 'steamy' images to go with it however my soup maker appears to have died as well. We're not on a winning streak it seems.

(I won't even mention the vacuum cleaner.)

While I could make soup the old-fashioned S.L.O.W way in a pot, I was recently pointed towards this brand spanking new Tefal blender and now my heart's all a-flutter with shiny new appliance lust...

Ahh, some day you may grace my kitchen bench my lovely, sateen-finished, friend-to-be...

In my dreams

Anyway, banana muffins are my latest thing to whip together and they're certainly a decent winter bake. Served warm straight from the oven, they're pretty divine and even quite healthy too.

My kids have not always rushed to eat banana muffins mind you, because the little monsters know that they contain bananas! (The title gives it all away doesn't it?!)

It took me a while to learn that the best way to prepare banana muffins with kids in mind, was to blend the bananas instead of mashing them. This way, there's no tell-tale oxidised banana-ry 'black bits' that make kids go all icky and eww! Blenders appear to remove the offending healthy parts by obliterating them altogether according to my kids. Ridiculous, but it may be kind-of true in a way too.

This recipe is basically whipped up in a blender (or a Thermomix if you're a super lucky-ducky owner) and they turn out beautifully. They've quite a thick, bread-like texture unbaked and when cooked have a rustic crust with a soft centre, a delicious aroma and no 'icky black chunks' of mashed banana to turn-off the kids. We're toddler approved too.

Second serves were quickly requested with these so they didn't last long. They're what I term a 'Bingo bake' - a hit.

Banana Muffins Fast, Easy and Kid Approved!

Preheat oven to 190 degrees.

3 large bananas
1 egg
3/4 of a cup of caster sugar

Pop all three ingredients above into a blender bowl or a food processor (or Thermomix) and blend until they resemble a custard-like consistency.

Then add:

75 grams of margarine (or butter)
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of bicarb
1/2 a teaspoon of salt
1 and a 1/2 cups of plain flour

Blend all ingredients until a dough-like batter is formed and all ingredients are well combined.

Line a muffin pan with paper cases, (this recipe makes 12) and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until the muffins have risen and turned golden brown. (Usually they're baked when there's a delicious banana scent about!)

Allow the hot muffins to cool in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack. These are scrumptious while warm on cooler days but they're also perfect cooled and make a great healthy kids' lunchbox snack for school.