maple•spice: Cinnamon Kissed Banana & Dark Chocolate Muffins

Finally a sweet recipe! With all these salads lately you've probably thought I've gone all healthy on y'all. (Nev-ah!!) Although, I must confess these are just a very simple variation on my Banana White Chocolate Muffins - I've simply replaced the white chocolate with dark and added a touch of cinnamon :-)

So, I was just going to update that post with these but then no one would see it, so here it is! These turned out just as beautiful as the original, the little hint of cinnamon in there is lovely with the banana and dark chocolate.

Cinnamon Kissed Banana & Dark Chocolate Muffins: makes 12

245g plain flour
100g caster sugar
50 grams light muscovado sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
100g dark chocolate, chopped
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 chocolate 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 until thick and smoothish - little lumps are ok.

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, thick custardy like concoction, whisk in the mashed banana until well mixed.

Now fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula 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.

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 to add the chocolate drizzle, simply melt about 50g of dark chocolate then drizzle back and forth quickly over the cooled muffins. As I didn't want chocolate all over the cases here and wanted them to stay in the cases as I love their colour, I removed these from their cases, drizzled the chocolate on then popped them back into the cases once the chocolate had set.