Banana crumb muffins

This is what happened. I had some spare bananas, a serious craving for something sweet and I found this recipe. After making (and quickly devouring, with the help of husband) one batch I proceeded to make another one. These beauties are too delicious not to be shared. Honestly, they are the best muffins I've ever made and tasted - soft and moist with a sweet crunchy topping. 

I changed a few bits and bobs in the recipe and added flax seed and chopped almonds to the streusel - you can never have too much crunch, can you?

To make a batch of 12 muffins you'll need:

220 g plain white flour(1 1/2 cup)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 bananas, mashed

30 g brown sugar (1/4 cup)

90 g white sugar (1/2 cup)

1 egg, beaten

100 g butter, melted (1/3 cup)

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

Topping

50 g (1/3 cup) brown sugar

2 tbsp flour

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flax seed

1 tbsp chopped almonds

Pre-heat the oven to 190 C.

Prepare the topping: rub sugar, flour and butter with your fingers until the mix resembles breadcrumbs, stir in the rest of the ingredients. Chill the topping in the fridge until your muffin batter is ready.

In a mixing bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt.

Mash bananas in another bowl and add sugar, vanilla, egg and melted butter. Stir to combine.

Add the flour mix to the wet banana mix and combine with a spatula (try not to overmix).

Spoon the mix into muffin cases, sprinkle the topping and bake for 18-20 minutes.

Yum!

Banana bread

Is your kitchen home to a few overripe bananas?

Do you like cake? (duh)

Do you claim baking is hard?

If the answer to at least two of these questions is yes than you should definitely make banana bread. It's simple, keeps for a few days (although so delicious it won't last that long, trust me), can be eaten for breakfast, dinner, lunch, you name it. I guess what I'm trying to say is give it a try!

I've tried a few recipes for banana bread but Sophie Dahl's wins every time (I just reduced the amount of sugar as a) bananas are quite sweet anyway and b) I was using chocolate). I was also inspired by Jen of Jen Loves Kev to add chocolate chips to the batter - score!

To make it you'll need:

75 g soft butter
4 ripe bananas (the riper the better, though of course they can't be black!)
150 g soft brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda or baking powder
1 tbsp vanilla extract
170g plain flour
a pinch of salt
a good handful of chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 180 C/160 C fan. Mash bananas with a fork in a big bowl.

Add sugar, egg, vanilla extract and butter. Fold everything in with a spatula, until mixed thoroughly.

Add bicarbonate of soda, pinch of salt and flour, mix again and add chocolate chips.

Line a bread tin with baking parchment and pour the dough in.

Pop into the oven for 1hr, remove from the tin and cool. Eat with a bit of butter if you're feeling a bit naughty!