Saturday, 5 June 2010

The Stuff in Muffins

As usual, this week I was left with overripe bananas in the fruit bowl and because I can't stand to throw away food, I knew I had to do something with them quickly.

Hubby has moved his office from home to an actual office building recently and almost always forgets to take lunch with him. His partner and employees are all young single lads without a girl to look after them and so I have been taking cookies and muffins in with his lunch for him to share with the lads. I made some banana, cardamom and dark chocolate muffins earlier in the week, but yesterday I delivered these tasty banana, apple and walnut nibbles. Of course I kept plenty back for the house and took one out to the garden with a cup of tea as fortification before a mammoth weeding task.

The apple in these little bites adds a little bit of a twang that I think the bananas really benefit from. I used Braeburn, but any nice eating apple should work, although Granny Smith might be a bit to tart and firm.


Banana, Apple and Walnut Muffins
makes 12 muffins, takes approx 45 minutes


2 overripe bananas
2 eating apples (Braeburn, Gala, Jazz, Fuji, Empire etc) skin-on, grated, discard cores.
210 g (7.5oz) golden caster sugar
255g (7.75oz) plain (All purpose) flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of (baking) soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
113g (4 oz) unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 cup walnuts (or pecans if you prefer) chopped

Preheat the oven to 170C (140F) and line a muffin tin with muffin papers.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or with electric beaters, mash the bananas up and add the vanilla and eggs, whisking well.
Add the sugar and apple, then mix well for a minute or so.
 Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly before adding it to the wet mixture while stirring briskly.
Add the salt.
Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda together and stir them into the batter until just combined, then add the nuts, stir through well and distribute evenly between all of the muffin papers.
Bake for 20-25 mins, until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Either give them to hubby's grateful colleagues or keep them all for yourself.

7 comments:

  1. Don't you just love a muffin the morning? I love using bananas and apples in my muffins...by far my most favorite ingredients. Thanks for sharing Emily!
    http://anecdotesandapples.weebly.com

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  2. Those left over bananas that need to be used up in baked goods like these muffins are always the best ones of the bunch! :)

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  3. Yes, Monet, a morning muffin is just about right. I had one of these with my morning cuppa and set off into the garden for a pretty brave task- To make room for some laying hens! I mowed and edged the lawn, cleaned the patio and finished my weeding all before I felt hungry for lunch.

    Kevin, You're so right. I much prefer bananas this way than unblemished yellow and raw!

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  4. I love bringing muffins to school for lunch- they're so easy to make ahead and taste so good.....=] These muffins look delicious! I like the idea of bannanas, apples and walnuts!

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  5. Hey Emily, I bet Drew and his co-workers love you. I want one of these to have with my coffee in the morning-any kind of banana muffin is on my short list of last foods.
    Hey, by the way, you took your business outside, mama. The photos look great. Cute dog too...

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  6. I've never thought of combining banana and apple in muffins. It sounds quite tasty!

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  7. The food and unintentional pup placement in that first pic is fantastic. Bravo!

    What a great way to start your morning.

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