Banana Muffins for Breakfast

Thank you to sugoodsweets for this image of muffins - mine were gone in a flash and the camera was out of juice.

There's nothing quite like whipping up a batch of muffins on a Weekend morning to make you feel like a domestic goddess (or god). Muffins are also a great thing to make with kids - for these, Fin mashed the banana, filled the trays with cases and beat the wet ingredients together whilst I measured and sifted. I use American cup measures here because it's easier - get some, you won't regret it.

You can substitute other flours; maize instead of tapioca flour would give a yellower, denser muffin; quinoa gives a grassy flavour and moist texture, buckwheat is sweet and dense (but hard to digest). Play around....

All you need to do is shuffle downstairs in your PJs (unless you live in a bungalow), turn on the oven, mix everything up and pour into the cases. Then whilst the muffins are baking you brew up a nice pot of coffee or tea and luxuriate in a warm kitchen filled with the rich smells of bananas and baking (and hopefully during that time, someone will have thought to nip out and buy the papers). These muffins don't need jam or butter unless you are feeling completely decadent, in which case, may I suggest fig jam or butter and thick creamy honey.

Update for 2011 - I have a newer banana buckwheat muffin recipe here that you could also try.

Banana muffins (gluten free) makes 12

Preheat the oven to 180C (fan assisted)

Ingredients
2 medium bananas
1/2 cup milk (or milk alternative)
1/2 cup coconut oil or butter
2 large eggs
4 dessertspoons of palm sugar, date sugar or 3 of honey
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour or buckwheat flour
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 level tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp vanilla extract

12 bun muffin tin filled with muffin cases

Mash the bananas and put into a largeish jug (or large bowl) with the oil, sugar/honey, egg, milk and vanilla extract. Beat it all up till amalgamated.

Sift the remaining ingredients together (important to avoid lumps of bicarb) and stir into the wet ingredients until just combined. Pour or spoon into the waiting muffin cases.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until firm, risen and golden. Cool slightly on a rack and then gobble them all up joyfully whilst reading the papers (or playing the egg slicer).