Banana and Chocolate Muffins

I should really be getting back to my holiday posts but I get lazier every day. As I plot the next holiday post, my baking tins have been given a good working out. The recent obsession has been bread pudding. It's one of the easiest things to make, brilliant for breakfast and the supermarket always has a constant supply of bread in the discounted section. The full bread pudding story will have to wait for another post I'm afraid, as last Sunday was all about banana and chocolate muffins.

I had some very ripe bananas that just had to be used and I wanted to make something with chocolate ( I ALWAYS want to make something with chocolate!) but couldn't find a recipe I fancied. So I modified a recipe I had used before - Gordon Ramsey's Toffee and Apple Muffins. Lo and behold! Right after I put in the first batch into the oven I realised I had missed out a vital ingredient - the milk. The batter did look a tad bit dry so I had added a touch more oil but darn it...... how could I have so silly? The muffins came out perfectly :) but if you do find your batter a little, add a touch of milk. Mine certainly didn't need it.

Banana and Chocolate Muffins
Makes 12

350g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
240g golden caster sugar
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
3 large eggs, beaten
130ml vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
150g dark chocolate chopped into small pieces

• Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4 and line two large 6-hole muffin tray* with paper cases. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl and stir in the sugar. Make a well in the dry ingredients.
• Add the mashed bananas, eggs, oil, vanilla extract and chocolate in the middle of the well, and fold the mixture together with a large metal spoon, using as few strokes as possible. Don’t worry if the mixture is lumpy, the trick behind the lightest muffins is not to overwork the batter.
• Fill the paper cases with the mixture bake for 25-30 minutes or until the muffins are well risen and golden.

*If a smaller 12-hole muffin tray is used, check the muffins after about 20 minutes.