Banana White Chocolate Muffins

These were so good! I always used to make a banana white chocolate muffin in the vegetarian days and based this recipe on that one. It does of course require a specific ingredient - vegan white chocolate buttons, which I have used before, they taste so much like white chocolate and always turn out great in baking. Some vegan white chocolate melts to a watery liquid in baking and doesn't reset when the product cools - I learned the hard way. These buttons are perfect though, for those in Cork I get mine at the Quay Co-op, sometimes at Tesco and Holland & Barratt.

To veganize the original recipe I swapped the butter for vegan margarine, the white chocolate for vegan white chocolate and the eggs for my favourite egg replacer, a mixture of cornstarch, baking powder, xanthan gum, oil and water. I know a lot of vegan sites put banana alone down as an egg replacer and yes, it is very good at binding, but eggs do a lot more than binding. I have had quite a lot of banana flavoured baked goods that can only be described as moist bricks. Texture matters. These have a great texture, really light and still moist but not dense at all. Very happy with them :-)

Makes 12 - 14 muffins, depending on size of tin - I got 14 using silicone muffin cases but they are a little smaller than a traditional muffin tin.

Banana White Chocolate Muffins:

245g plain flour
100g caster sugar
50 grams light muscovado sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
75g vegan white chocolate buttons - 3 bags
100g vegan margarine, melted and cooled slightly
about 400g very ripe bananas, mashed well - about 3 large
1 tsp vanilla extract
~egg mixture~
2 Tbsp cornflour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp vegetable oil
100ml water

about 50g extra white chocolate buttons for garnish - optional

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and grease a muffin tin or individual silicon muffin moulds, I used a spray as it's so much easier.

First make up your 'eggs' by adding the cornflour, baking powder and xanthan gum in a medium size bowl, slowly whisk in the vegetable oil and water. When all added give it a really good whisk till thickened and smoothish.

In a large bowl whisk the flour, sugars, baking powder, soda and salt. Set aside.

Melt the margarine then transfer to a pyrex measuring jug and stir in the vanilla. Give the egg mixture another whisk then slowly start whisking the margarine into it until it is all incorporated. You should now have a smooth, thickish custardy like concoction.

Now fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just blended, do not overmix, it should not be smooth. If you overmix the muffins will be tough and rubbery. Fold in the chocolate. (I like to break the buttons in half, then half again.)

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin about 3/4 full and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of one comes out clean. Place tin on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes then remove the muffins. Serve warm or at room temperature.

If you would like the drizzle extra white chocolate on top (which I highly recommend!) melt 50g (2 packages) white chocolate buttons in the microwave, should only take 20 - 30 seconds. At this stage it is still a bit too thick to drizzle so stir in about 1/2 tsp vegetable oil, or more until it is drizzling down when you dip a spoon in it. When the muffins are fully cool drizzle the mixture back and forth, let the chocolate cool then serve. :-)

Nutritional Information - based on 12 large muffins, with drizzle on top
Calories: 241
Fat: 7.7g
Sat Fat: 2.3g
Fibre: 1.8g
Carbs: 41g
Sugars: 19.8g
Protein: 2.6g
Sodium: 162mg

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