Banana Cherry and White Chocolate Cupcakes

The recipe for these tasty banana cupcakes comes from Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess. As most of Nigella’s recipes, these are incredibly easy and quick to make. They’re best warm, either fresh from the oven or heated in the microwave. When they get cold, the only thing you can actually taste in them is banana. The other flavors are barely palpable even though I’ve increased the amount of dried cherries (the recipe below includes the change). Heating brings the subtle flavor of chocolate and cherries out of the cupcakes and makes them taste really delicious!!!

Banana, Dried Cherry and White Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes 12-14 cupcakes

125 g unsalted butter
200 g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas
4 tbsp sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
300 g plain flour
80 g dried cherries, roughly chopped
50 g white chocolate, roughly chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) / gas mark 4
2. Grease or line 12 muffin cups.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then, off the heat add the sugar, vanilla and bananas, mashing them with a fork in the pan.
4. In a separate bowl, lightly beat eggs a fork, add the cream, then fold them into the melted butter, sugar, and banana mixture.
5. Add the baking soda and the baking powder and stir in.
6. Add the flour, cherries, and white chocolate. Mix gently with a spoon just until the ingredients are combined.
7. Spoon into the muffin pan filling ¾ full. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden on top.
8. Remove the cupcakes in their paper to wire rack and leave to cool lightly.

Przepis po polsku:
Bananowe babeczki z suszonymi wiśniami i białą czekoladą

Banana and Orange Muffins

I woke up at 6:00 a.m. today morning when my husband was still asleep. I wanted to surprise him with nice breakfast in bed, so I baked him these delicious muffins. Personally, I never eat muffins that early in the morning, but my Canadian husband is much more used to having sweet breakfasts than me, so banana muffins made perfect breakfast for him.

The recipe I used was actually a recipe for banana bread, but I got a wonderful muffin pan for Christmas and really couldn't wait to try it. So I decided to turn the bread recipe into muffins. The bread was originally made with lots of nuts and cranberries, but I wanted my muffins plain, so I omitted them completely. I also reduced the amounts of oil and sugar. The result was wonderful!!! My husband said they were the best muffins he had ever had in his life! I tried some later in the afternoon and I have to admit they’re really really delicious, extremely moist and very aromatic!!! Their wonderful warm banana and orange smell fills the entire house.

Banana and Orange Muffins
(adapted from What's Cooking Baking cookbook)

DRY INGREDIENTS:
175 g all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
125 g brown sugar
2 ripe bananas, mashed
zest of one orange, grated

WET INGREDIENTS:
5-6 tbsp orange juice, freshly squeezed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
125 ml sunflower oil

1. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Line a muffin pan with paper baking cups, you'll need ten of them.
2. Sift flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add brown sugar and orange peel. Mix well. Fold in mashed bananas.
3. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Mix well.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just mixed and moistened. Do not over mix.
5. Fill each muffin cup to 3/4 full.
6. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Cool 5 min. and then remove from pans.

Przepis po polsku:
Mufinki bananowo-pomarańczowe