Banana & blueberry muffins

A low-fat muffin that tastes as good as it looks – they’ll keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to a month.

Ingredients

(Serves 12)
10 oz self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 oz light muscovado sugar
2 oz porridge oats, plus 1 tbsp for topping
2 medium bananas, the riper the better
½ pint carton buttermilk
5 tbsp light olive oil
2 egg whites
5½ oz punnet blueberries

Method

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper muffin cases. Tip the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Hold back 1 tbsp of the sugar, then mix the remainder with the flour and 50g oats. Make a well in the centre. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas until nearly smooth. Stir the buttermilk, oil and egg whites into the mashed banana until evenly combined.

Pour the liquid mixture into the well and stir quickly and sparingly with a wooden spoon. The mix will look lumpy and may have the odd fleck of flour still visible, but don’t be tempted to over-mix. Tip in the blueberries and give it just one more stir. Divide the mix between the muffin cases – they will be quite full – then sprinkle the tops with the final tbsp of the oats and the rest of he sugar. Bake for 18-20 mins until risen and dark golden. Cool for 5 mins in the tray before lifting out onto a rack to cool completely.

 Clipped from cookingforgeeks.com, by by Jeff Potter

Chemical leaveners aren’t always used to create light, fluffy foods. Even dense items need some air to keep them enjoyable.

Even dense items need some air to keep them enjoyable.

In a bowl, mix together with a wooden spoon or electric beater:

• ½ cup (100g) sugar
• 6 tablespoons (80g) butter, softened but not melted
• ½ cup (170g) molasses
• 1 tablespoon (17g) minced ginger (or ginger paste)

In a separate bowl, whisk together:

• 3¼ cups (400g) flour
• 4 teaspoons (12g) ginger powder
• 1 teaspoon (5g) baking soda
• 2 teaspoons (3g) cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon (1g) allspice
• ½ teaspoon (2g) salt
• ½ teaspoon (2g) ground black pepper

Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl with the sugar/butter mixture. (I use a strainer as a sifter.) Work the dry and wet ingredients together using a spoon or, if you don’t mind, your hands. The dough will get to a crumbly, sand-like texture.

Add ½ cup (120g) water and continue mixing until the dough forms a ball. Turn out the dough onto a cutting board coated with a few tablespoons of flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is about ¼″ (0.6 cm) thick.

Cut it into shapes using a cookie cutter or a paring knife and bake them on a cookie sheet in an oven set to 400°F / 200°C until cooked, about eight minutes. The cookies should be slightly puffed up and dry, but not overly dry.

Ingredients

• 225g self raising flour
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 100g margarine
• 225g bananas
• 100g caster sugar
• Grated rind of 1 lemon
• 2 eggs
• 6 tablespoons thick honey

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C (Gas mark 4). Lightly grease and base line a 900g loaf tin.

Measure the flour and nutmeg into a food processor bowl and buzz the margarine in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Peel and mash the bananas and stir into the flour mixture with the sugar, lemon rind, eggs and honey. Buzz everything until evenly mixed and turn out the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until a fine skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover the cake loosely with foil during the end of cooking time if it’s browning too much. Allow the loaf to cool slightly in the tin and then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

To top the cake, gently warm some more honey in a small pan, then brush over the top of the loaf and sprinkle with sugar.