Banana Breakfast Muffins.

Moooorniiiing. Mmmm homemade muffins. A nice crunch at the crust, the hintiesthint of warm squodge in the middle, and oh so simple that they can be knocked up for an impromptu breakfast treat before you've even put the kettle on. 

The thing is though, whenever I do make muffins at home, I end up just a teensyweensy bit disappointed. It's those MUHHHHmungous coffee shop muffins that do it, with their mountainous muffin tops; the bit that I pull off and save til last.

It's not so much the size I'm after; I've heard people say such enormity in a muffin is rather vulgar (ridiculous I know, more cake, more fun surely). It's more the overhanging mushroom shaped, over the trousers bit of flesh which is so synonymous with a muffin and sort of separates them from other more cakeycakes, that I'm after.

I do NOT know how Starbucks and Co do it, and I'm afraid it might be best to remain in ignorance. It's probably some chemical with a name that looks like someone's fallen asleep on their keyboard. So I fear I may just have to get over it, and console myself with these lovely little breakfast chaps. Delish, easy and the perfect way to use up the blackest of black bananas. Though if you do know the secret...please let on. With Love and Cake.

Banana Muffins

From Nigella's How To Be A Domestic Goddess

A few notes:

• The secret to a good bouncy muffin is speeeeed as soon as the wet and dry ingredients are combined. That's basically when the rising begins so you want it in the oven asap after that point.
• Nigella's original recipe was meant to make 10 muffins, but in my never ending muffin top quest I filled my cases upupup so only got 6, you do as you fancy.
• Muffin cases are not the same as cupcake or fairy cake cases; muffin cases should be around 5 cm deep whereas the others, although the same diameter are more like 4.

Makes 6 large large-ish or 10 smaller 

You will need

A 6-12 hole muffin tin, lined with muffin cases

30g butter

2 big tbsp runny honey

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

150g plain flour

1 heaped tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 large, uber-ripe bananas, mashed

• Preheat the oven to 190 °c.
• Now pop the butter, honey and vanilla in a pan over a low heat and leave to melt together.
• Meanwhile mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
• When the butter is nice and melted, stir the bananas into the pan. 
• Now it's speedy time. Quickly combine the contents of the pan with the dry ingredients.
• Divide the (unappetising looking) mixture equally between the muffin cases and get them straight in the oven.
• Bake for 20 minutes, after which they should be golden and proud looking.
• Leave them to cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then remove to cool completely. Or eat immediately...as I'm afraid I did, well one anyway.