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The next time you have unexpected guests and have nothing nice to serve with a cuppa for afternoon tea, don’t panic.  Just slip into the kitchen and while the kettle boils you can make muffins.   This recipe will take you less than ten minutes to prepare and just a bit more than ten minutes to cook.  A couple of minutes out of the oven and you’ll be eating them.

Muffins are a great treat for the kids when they get home from school and are perfect for the school lunch box.  Muffins also freeze really well so when I make muffins I often double the quantity and freeze for a quick and easy lunch box item.  And don’t forget to get your kids involved in the kitchen – they’ll love making these muffins.

This particular recipe is for Chocolate Chip and Banana Muffins, but you can easily vary the recipe (see Variations below).  To keep things really simple, and to speed up the process, I use a cup measure.  The cup should hold approx 250 ml/8 fl oz of water.  Here goes.

Make Muffins – Ingredients

• Two cups self-raising flour
• Half a cup sugar
• Half a cup good quality chocolate chips (don’t use choc – it’s not the real deal)
• Approx 100g/3.5oz of butter (or your usual spread)
• 1 cup milk (I use soy)
• 1 egg
• 1 tea spoon vanilla essence (optional)
• 3 bananas
• Muffin tray to cook 12 muffins
• Oil spray to spray muffin tray

Make Muffins – Method

1. Heat oven to moderate
2. Spray your muffin tray with oil spray
3. Put flour, sugar and chocolate chips in a bowl and stir
4. In a separate bowl add butter and melt gently in microwave
5. Add the milk, egg and vanilla essence to the melted butter and stir
6. If bananas are soft, add to liquid mix and mash carefully with a masher
7. If bananas are not soft, cut into quite small pieces and add to liquid mix
8. Add liquid mix to dry ingredients and stir until combined
9. Divide mixture between 12 muffins in tray
10. Cook in oven for 12-14 minutes until golden and springy to the touch
11. Allow to sit in the tray for a couple of minutes before taking out and placing on a rack
12. Cool slightly and enjoy!

 

 

Variations

• Make Double Chocolate Chip Muffins by adding a quarter cup of cocoa to the dry mix.  Leave out the banana and add a couple of table spoons yoghurt to the liquid mix (or extra milk if you don’t have yoghurt)
• To make Berry Muffins add one cup of berries to the dry mix and leave out the chocolate chips.  Also leave out the banana
• If you have no bananas, use any tinned fruit you might have in the cupboard.  Drain and add one or two cups of chopped fruit to the liquid mix.  Try peaches, pears or mixed friut.  Leave out the chocolate chips
• Apple Muffins are delicious.  Just add one cup of cooked apples (from a tin if you are pressed for time) to the liquid mix in place of the banana.  No need for chocolate chips – unless of course you fancy apple and chocolate chip muffins
• Savoury Muffins have become quite popular – served with sour cream
• You can make 24 smaller muffins or 6 mega muffins – remember to vary the time cooked accordingly

Handy Tips

• If you have bananas that are going really black and soft they are perfect for making muffins
• I put over-ripe bananas in the freezer until I need them to make muffins.  They go completely black and when defrosted the banana just squeezes out.  It looks a bit revolting, but they make great banana muffins
• Frozen mixed berries are perfect for making berry muffins
• Muffins are best eaten on the day they are made – but will keep for a couple of days
• If you do have some left, heat them slightly in the microwave before serving
• Muffins freeze well and are perfect for the school lunch box

There really are endless options when it comes to muffins.  So what are you waiting for?  Make muffins today and see for yourself how simple and easy they are to make – and how delicious they are to eat.

What type of muffins do you make?  Which muffins are your household’s favourite?

I look forward to your comments.

Jan Littlehales

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