Monday, August 18, 2008

Halp!

Does anyone happen to have a recipe for low-fat banana muffins (ones with oil instead of butter)? I'm sure I had a recipe somewhere, and now I can't find it, and the internet is taunting me by not seeming to have one either.

Many thanks in advance!

PS As you can maybe tell, I'm on maternity leave now. It's brilliant - I just sit around on my arse and people send fantastic presents, like sponge bags and books about the Etruscan language. I've already decided I'm never going back to work, ever, and instead I'm going to run an organic B&B supplied with organic bread and organic eggs from the new organic deli up the road, and put twee hand-written labels on things, like some kind of actual physical embodiment of Country Living magazine. (Although as Mr BC looked seriously alarmed when I informed him of this plan, the likelihood of my going back to work before so very long is fairly high.)

17 comments:

Special K said...

There's a Nigella recipe which uses honey and a small amount of butter. It's in the Domestic Goddess book - not sure if it's online somewhere...

patroclus said...

Aha, thank you Kelly, I will investigate.

Special K said...

Aha, I remembered that I'd posted it on my blog.

***

30g unsalted butter
2 heaped 15ml tablespoons clear honey
Half teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large ripe bananas
150g plain flour
1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
Half teaspoon bicarb
Half teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
12 bun muffin tin

Put the honey, butter and vanilla extract in a saucepan on a low heat to melt, then remove and set aside. Mash the bananas, and in another bowl, measure out the flour, baking powder, bicarb, cinnamon and salt. Mix the melted butter mixture with the bananas and then mix that into the dry ingredients. Don't overmix: stir a couple of times, you will have a not terribly attractive lumpy sludge, but don't worry about it.
Put paper cases into the muffin trays and then fill them about two-thirds full of mixture. Put in preheated oven (190C, gas mark 5) for about 25 minutes. Makes 12.

***

I found that the mixture was too dry and I couldn't combine the ingredients without adding a little water (or more mashed banana).

patroclus said...

Oh superb, thank you! Right - off to the muffin tin I go...

GreatSheElephant said...

there are lots of recipes here:
http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,banana_muffins,FF.html

-moi - boolean whizz, html duffer

Tim F said...

Goes very well with tuna, so I believe.

patroclus said...

Kelly: I've now made them, they were very, very easy - thanks for that! I might have to get that Nigella book.

GSE: Blimey, who would have thought there were so many banana muffin recipes - that URL could see me through my entire maternity leave.

Tim: I've been thinking about that advert a lot during the pregnancy. Disappointingly, I haven't had any revolting cravings at all.

Marsha Klein said...

If you're thinking along Country Living organic idyll, you could surely do worse than take a few tips from these young ladies:
lineshttp://www.waitrose.com/food/celebritiesandarticles/homecooks/2008/August/sisteract.aspx

I thought it must be a spoof when I first read it. Apparently not.

Marsha Klein said...

Oh sorry! Please delete the previous drivel.

I was trying to link to an article in the latest Waitrose Food Illustrated about two young sisters called Fennel (12) and Mermaid (7) who run a cafe in the grounds of their country house in Norfolk. The proceeds are donated to an organisation called The Fairyland Trust which:
"aims to inspire and engage children and families in wildlife conservation through workshops and fairs."

patroclus said...

Well all those links worked for me, Marsha, but here it is again for anyone else who wants to savour the full-on tweeness of two girls called Fennel and Mermaid running a fairy tea shop in the woods.

(Actually I think it's quite sweet. Is there something wrong with me? I promise the Blue Kitten is going to have a proper name, though.)

James Henry said...

The muffins were great!

Om nom nom.

Special K said...

Glad you both liked 'em :)

Anonymous said...

Mermaid and Fennel? Do these people live in an alternate reality? How do they keep a straight face at the town hall when these parents trot off down there to register their hapless infants?

Matt said...

My favourite words in that article are on the first line, and should be the name of a boy in a Billy Bunter novel: spotty bunting.

patroclus said...

Janey: I believe Mr BC is harbouring a secret plan to name the Blue Kitten 'Batman'. Hopefully this will set her in good stead for school, though.

Matt: Not to mention his little brother, Lesser Spotty Bunting, or Bunting Minor as he would probably be officially known.

Marsha Klein said...

"Actually I think it's quite sweet. Is there something wrong with me?"

There's nothing wrong with you. If I sound a tad mean spirited, it's only because I'd quite like to have that sort of life myself (although I think my children's names are less, erm, outlandish)

Anonymous said...

"I promise the Blue Kitten is going to have a proper name" Not Princess Patroclus Bleu Felinia Toy-Fu Mermaid Henry then?