With black and blotchy skin very ripe bananas are not a beautiful sight but this does not affect the fruit inside. It will still be delicious - just a little softer and a little sweeter than usual.
These muffins, with their yoghurt-lightened crumb, are very moist, dense and fragrant with a touch of the tropics.
I’ve added chopped, dried mango and I especially love their velvety, juicy and peachy sweetness. The lime syrup tenderises, adds tartness and keeps the muffins fresh for a few days longer.
Of course, I’m always delighted when I am able to keep the fats and sugars low. The amount of sugar in this recipe is modest and there is no added butter or oil. Yippee!
Makes 12 medium-sized muffins
Ingredients
170g self raising flour
1 tsp baking soda
50g ground almonds
100g dried mango (from the supermarket bins) chopped to about the size of raisins
1 large egg, size 7, lightly beaten
120g brown sugar
⅔ cup Greek yoghurt
3 very ripe medium bananas (skin on about 370g). Once skinned and mashed you will have about 230g mashed banana (1 cup)
Syrup
¼ cup lime juice
3 Tbsp sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 200degC. Grease or spray 12 medium (100ml capacity) muffin pans.
Sift the flour and baking soda into a bowl. Stir in the ground almonds and chopped dried mango. Set aside.
In another bowl beat together the egg, brown sugar and Greek yoghurt. Set aside.
Remove the skins from the bananas and mash the fruit. You should have 1 cup of mashed banana.
Make a well in the dry ingredients add the egg, sugar and yoghurt mixture. Then stir in the mashed banana taking care not to overmix. The batter should be a bit lumpy. Spoon the batter into the muffin pans filling each nearly to the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and a muffin springs back when gently pressed with your finger.
Remove from the oven.
While the muffins are baking prepare the topping. Mix the lime juice and sugar together without dissolving the sugar.
As soon as the muffins are out of the oven brush their tops with the lime and sugar mixture. Set aside to cool a little.
Slide a knife between the side of the pan and each muffin to loosen.
Gently ease muffins out of their pans and brush any remaining topping over the sides.
Cool on a wire rack.
Probably best eaten on the day they are baked but I find these muffins keep well for 2-3 days. They also freeze well.
Makes 12 medium-sized muffins.
Most times I serve the muffins just as they are but you can butter them if you wish.
I also serve the muffins with a slice of creamy blue cheese or a dollop of Greek yoghurt, depending on the occasion and the time of day.
