Chocolate Burst Banana Muffins - Muffins with an edge

Looking Good...aren't they ??

Perfect accompaniment to your morning coffee, instant mid morning energy provider, mid night snacking right out of the fridge...answer to all of the above is my spiced Banana Muffins with a Chocolate Burst Filling.

If you like bananas then you are going to love these Banana Muffins ...and if you don't like bananas, well, then you are going to love this version of bananas. Need I tell you all over again how healthy bananas are for us..all the potassium and the iron and of course the instant energy boost. And what better way than having it all packed in a muffin. Best thing about bananas in any cake/cupcake is that they keep the cake very moist and super soft, even when you take it out of the refrigerator...no need to warm it up in the microwave.

Coming to the Chocolate filling...I have come across quite a few muffin recipes with cream cheese fillings, but because where I live, it is very difficult (almost impossible and it is an effort to make smooth cream cheese at home) to get cream cheese, I am ready to settle down with a chocolate filling (Not that my kids are complaining).

Actually the combination of banana and chocolate is, in fact, quite dramatic ....the chocolate filling oozing out of the moist banana cup cake...Appealing to the eyes...and your palate too.

Feel free to use any other filling...Or you can entirely skip the filling and just have the muffins, which is the way I prefer it.

Ingredients:

For the muffins

1 cup Atta (Whole Wheat Flour, 8 fl oz)

1/3 cup oil (3 fl oz)

3/4 cup sugar, powdered (6 fl oz)

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup mashed bananas, that is about 2-3 medium sized bananas (about 8 fl oz)

 2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp grated nutmeg, (can replace with cinnamon)

1 tsp dry ginger powder or 1/2 tsp ginger spice drops,

1 tsp sparkling sugar, for sprinkling

For the Chocolate Filling

1/2 cup Dark Chocolate, finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh cream

1 tsp sugar, optional, if you want it sweeter

Melt all of the above in a double boiler and let it cool. Once it cools, it will be slightly thick in consistency, like a chocolate paste, if its too runny add some more cooking chocolate to thicken it. You can also add nuts to this chocolate filling.

Method:

The method is pretty much simple, no sieving, no creaming...just mixing everything together.

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.
2. Beat the eggs and sugar till light and frothy.
3. Add nutmeg and ginger. Add mashed bananas and the oil. 
4. Beat well till all the banana is mixed thoroughly. Don't worry if the batter is a slightly lumpy. That is because of the banana. It will even out while baking. 
5. Now, add milk, the baking powder and then the atta and beat just till combined. 
6. Half fill the muffin moulds with the batter. Dollop a table spoon of the chocolate filling and fill up the rest of the mould with the batter.Give the tray a gentle tap before it goes into the oven to remove air bubbles.
7. Optionally, sprinkle some coarse white sugar on top of the batter before baking.

Bake in the preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius for 18-20 minutes or until they spring back when you slightly press them on the top and the edges start to brown. remove them from the oven and unmould as soon as you are able to, which should be within 2-3 minutes. If you leave it in the moulds, the bottoms start to steam from the heat and become soggy. Cool on a wire rack, but if patience is not one of your virtues, then eat it right out of the oven..digging into the hot chocolate inside....

The chocolate gushing out...aptly called Chocolate Burst Banana Muffin

Happy Baking !!

Chocolate Cup Cakes...Rise and Shine

Ready for some fun baking? 

These Cupcakes will bring a smile to your face because one - they are so cute to look at, two - they are all fiber and no refined flour (maida) and (wait there is more coming) there is very little butter. And all you health freaks out there...substitute with olive oil. As for the sugar...do not use an electric blender...burn the calories and replenish later.

Life cant get better than this...so wishing you all a guilt free snacking.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Atta (Whole Wheat Flour, 6 fl oz)

1/4 cup cocoa powder ( 2 fl oz)

1/2 cup sugar, finely powdered (4 fl oz)

1 tsp Baking powder

3/4 cup milk ( 6 fl oz)

2 tbsp + 1 tsp melted butter

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp rum , optional

chocochips, optional

You can use the same amount of Maida in the recipe if you want to.

To make Vanilla cup cakes, just skip the cocoa, 1 tsp of butter and 1 tsp of rum. Optionally add a 1/2 tsp of grated nutmeg for flavorsome Vanilla Cup Cakes.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. Sieve together the atta, baking powder and the cocoa powder. In a deep bowl, beat the egg along with the sugar and vanilla till light and frothy. Add the melted butter and beat again till the butter combines well into the batter.Do not overbeat.Add the sieved ingredients and the milk alternatively and beat til all the ingredients are incorporated into the batter. Again, do not overbeat. Pour into greased muffin tray or line muffin tray with cupcake liners. Since I am using Whole wheat flour, I filled the moulds till the brim, if using Maida fill 3/4 full. Sprinkle with chocochips and bake at 180 degree celsius for 12-13 min or till an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool sightly and unmould while still warm.Let them cool on a wire rack if you want to store them, Otherwise serve warm with a drizle of Hot Chocolate Sauce or with an icing of your choice.

There have been times when I am in a hurry and I just blitz all the ingredients in a blender and the results are just as good.

Cocoa can make your cake go dry. So when ever you add cocoa, remember to add extra butter or rum to balance out the dryness. Rum goes very well with chocolate...Just a tiny splash of rum would do.Any alcohol losses its alcoholic potency once cooked/baked (basically after being heated).