Blueberry banana muffin

The fiance was back from the US after a 2 week work related trip. I am so very fortunate to have a man who 'listens' when I jabber what would be of absolute irrelevance to him. For instance when I whine about how we have no blueberries growing here and how I wish I had some to bake muffins or any dessert. It was tremendously sweet of him to remember all the whining and get me a pack of dried blueberries (would've been better if it were fresh, but hey what the hell!). So then followed blueberry banana muffins. Why the banana? I figured since the berries weren't fresh, they wouldn't kick in a lot of flavour. And I was right. They were nice but maybe I'd ask him to get fresh ones nicely packed the next time. But for now, I'm just glad I have atleast the dried ones :)

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

3/4 cup mashed banana

1/4 cup curd

1 egg

1/3 cup oil / melted butter

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup toasted walnuts

1/2 cup fresh/fozen/dried blueberries

a pinch of salt

Method

Combine the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl mix in the wet ingredients. Add the dry to wet mix and fold. Do not over-mix else the muffins would turn hard. Now fold in the blueberries and walnuts. Scoop 2 tb sp batter into each muffin mould or fill it up 3/4th of the mould. Bake for 20 mins at 190 C in your pre-heated oven. Let them cool and enjoy with some coffee or serve them warm for breakfast. They're not too sweet or heavy as I'd expected. Quite light and tasty. You get a bit of everything, banana, blueberry, walnut and cinnamon. Real good treat!

Banana Raisin Cake

This time around my insipration turned out to be the 2 over ripe bananas sitting lazy on my dining table.They were on their death bed and my mother would have put them to rest by dumping them in the garbage bag.I just wanted them to attain nirvana...and I believe they did.I would like to believe this is one of my better creations.If I may say so myself, the most moist and delicious cake I have ever baked.You will need:

1/2 cup soft unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar (caster/regular/icing)

2 over ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup raisins

2 eggs- separate whites and yolk

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tspn baking powder

1 tspn baking soda

1 tspn cinnamon powder

a pinch of salt

Method:

Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. I personally prefer caster or icing sugar. Let's make life easy. Add the egg yolks. Mix well. Add the cinnamon powder. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites till they turn frothy. To the butter and sugar mixture add the mashed bananas and mix well.Combine the dry ingredients well (flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt)Add the dry mix into the wet mixture spoon by spoon.Mix well till all the ingredients are combined well. Trust me this is a good right arm work out! Tip in the frothy egg whites and gently folding them into the creamy mixture. Don't mix too much, else the cake will fall flat.Now we don't want that do we? Add the raisins. Here you can get a little creative by using any kind of dry fruits. From walnuts to cashews and dates to almonds.Anything.Now grease your baking tin with butter (I know!)

Pre heat your oven and bake for 45 mins at 180C Do the usual tooth pick/fork test to see if its done.

Take it out, let it cool.

Take a bite and thank me ;-)