Black Banana and White Chocolate Muffins

Black Banana and White Chocolate Muffins

What to do with some overripe bananas? I know, make some super yummy muffins with some naughty but nice white chocolate!

Black and white muffin!

Ingredients:

Scary banana!

175g dairy free margarine
100g light brown sugar
2 eggs
150g self raising gluten free flour
75g ground almonds
3 or 4 overripe bananas
125g white chocolate
few drops vanilla essence

Preheat the oven to 170C. Pop 12 muffin cases into a muffin tin (somewhat predictably).

White chocolate

In a large mixing bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix the margarine and sugar together until well mixed together. Add 1 egg at a time and slowly mix together. Do not fret if the mixture curdles. To the rescue comes the flour and ground almonds. Gradually mix together. Without fear or trepidation, move onto the overripe bananas. Remove the peel and then chop the soft banana into medium pieces. Chop the white chocolate into small pieces. Add the bananas, chocolate and essence to the mixture and carefully mix together. 

Hopefully will turn into magic!

Spoon between the 12 muffin cases and pop into the oven for 1 hour until golden brown. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes before enjoying warm or the next day in a packed lunch. 

Voila, the magic!

Greengages Crumble

Greengages Crumble

I had a punnet of greengages on the side which with our inclement weather, was not as appealing naked, so decided that it would work a dream if dressed up in a crumble. 

Greengages are an underrated fruit but are delightfully flavoursome and not at a high price. 

Greengages crumble

Ingredients:

500g greengages, quartered
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
85g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
45g dairy free margarine
25g light brown sugar
25g gluten free oats
25g chopped almonds

Greengages!

Preheat the oven to 200C. Wash and quarter the greengages and place in a small ovenproof dish. Add the sugar and lemon juice and mix to combine.

Mixed with sugar and lemon

In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour and cinnamon, then add chilled margarine. Rub into the flour with your fingers until you get fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, oats and almonds and mix together with a metal spoon. 

Crumble!

Place the crumble mix on top and place in the oven for 35 minutes until golden brown. 

Lovely tart crumble

Spicy apple crumble

Spicy Apple Crumble

Apples should be falling on your heads at the moment as they are very much in season. What better way to use them in a quick and simple way than with the classic crumble. Crunch and sweetness are an unbeatable combination with the addition of a little dose of spice to lift the taste of the apple. If you are fortunate enough to pick your won apples, it makes for an even more satisfying experience. 

Spicy apple crumble

Ingredients:

5 medium sixed apples, cored, skin peeled and cut into pieces

2 tbsp apple juice

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

4 tbsp light brown sugar

175g self-raising flour

1 tsp cinnamon

90g dairy free margarine

50g  light brown sugar

50g gluten free oats

50g chopped almonds

Spicy apples

Preheat the oven to 200C. Place the apples in a pan together with the cinnamon, mixed spice, apple juice and sugar and gently cook for 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Transfer into an ovenproof dish and enjoy the lovely aromas.

Crumble

In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour and cinnamon, then add chilled margarine. Rub into the flour with your fingers until you get fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, oats and almonds and mix together with a metal spoon. 

Golden crumble

Place the crumble mix on top and place in the oven for 35 minutes until golden brown. 

Lovely with custard!

Banana and Rum Muffins

Banana and Rum Muffins

Banana and rum are a lovely combination that deserves a wider audience than the Caribbean. I decided to give it a go in this quick recipe which can serve as a late, lazy Sunday treat.

Banana and rum muffin!

Ingredients:

Ripe banana and Mount Gay rum

150g dairy free margarine
2 eggs
100g light muscovado sugar
2 tbsp rum
130g ground almonds
110g plain gluten free flour
1 tsp gluten free baking powder
1 tsp aniseed, crushed finely
4 small bananas cut into pieces

Preheat the oven to 200C and pop 10 muffin cases into a muffin tin.

Melt the margarine and whisk in the eggs, rum and sugar. 

In a mixing bowl, combine the ground almonds, flour, ground aniseed and baking powder and then mix in the liquid mixture. 

Once combined, pour into the muffin cases until halfway filled. Add the banana pieces on top and press down lightly.

Lovely bananas

Pop into the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Fresh from the oven

These muffins can be enjoyed fresh from the oven with a nice cup of tea or coffee.

Nice cup of tea?