Hey Bernice!

Don’t you just love a good muffin (especially warm, straight from the oven)?

Have you noticed that the definition of a muffin has changed somewhat? Firstly, most of the muffins you can buy in a café are HUGE! A meal for 2 people. Secondly they are no longer healthy. They’re cake mixture in disguise within a muffin paper – not to mention the white chocolate chunks added, or the cream cheese icing!

I have just finished baking some banana bran muffins that fit the definition of healthy. I ate these muffins as a snack when I was a 14-year-old  trying to lose weight (eating these as a snack helped me lose 20kg over 5 months!). More recently I take these to work for a snack. The recipe is one of Mum’s (yes, there is a pattern developing here – my mum is a wonderful cook, and I will be sharing many more of my favourite ‘Mum’ recipes within this blog).

I cooked the muffins because I had several bananas that were a little over-ripe for eating, but perfect for cooking. So, here’s the recipe, it’s super easy…

Banana Bran Muffins

makes 12 large muffins

1 1/2 cups plain flour (you can use wholemeal flour if you want them to have a lower GI, or substitute 1/2 cup self raising flour for them to rise a little more)
1 tspn cinnamon
1 tspn Bicarbonate Soda
1/3 cup raw sugar
1 1/3 cups of unprocessed bran (bran flakes, not the processed cereal in a box) can also use oat bran
125g dates chopped (16 dates). A great way to chop dates is using scissors!
2 – 4 mashed bananas (depending on how big the bananas are, and how bananery you want them to be!)
1 grated apple (peeled first)
1/2 cup of oil
1 1/2 cups of buttermilk (in the milk section of the supermarket, or make your own with 1 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of natural yoghurt)
1 egg

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl (sieve the flour). Add all the other ingredients (except the bananas and grated apple) and mix well. Leave mixture overnight in the fridge to soften the bran flakes (makes a lighter muffin).

The next day, add the mashed banana and grated apple and mix well. Grease a muffin tin, or use paper liners in the muffin tin (this saves having to clean the tin afterwards!).

Cook for 20 minute (or until golden brown) in a 180° oven.

Note: Mum adds walnuts, and I have added sunflower seeds or pepitas to mine, adding some extra goodness to them. Be creative and add your own nuts and seeds!

These muffins freeze really well, and can then be placed in the microwave and heated prior to eating. They are best served warm.

Cheers,

Bernice
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