Red Banana Muffins (no refined sugar added)

At last, after experimenting with different combinations of ingredients & in different amounts(sometimes edible, sometimes good enough only as paperweight, ha ha...), I finally found a combination I like. Hope you like it too and try it out!

The aim of my 'experiment' was to make muffins with NO refined sugar or artificial flavour added. The sweetness & flavour would have to come from natural sources. I chose to use the red (Jamaican) bananas as it has a strong, distinct taste and suitable for cooking.

Sweetness comes from the ripe banana and lots of raisins. I was surprised to find that many teenagers don't like black raisins. They say that it reminds them of cockcroach droppings! So, I would suggest using golden raisins (not so sweet, though) or other dried fruits. However, I suspect tropical dried fruits like mango, pineapple, Chinese plums, guava, winter melon, etc. are all candied (ie. processed/coated/dried with sugar & other artificial additives & colouring). So, choose wisely!

If you don't have bananas, you could substitute with peeled, chopped yellow apples (NZ Golden Delicious).

This time, I used chapatti (atta) flour instead of imported wholemeal flour because it's easier to find at supermarkets, finer texture and more economical, mixed with an equal portion of plain white flour. For added fiber & nutrition, I added organic hulled millet & organic omega mix (raw sunflower kernels, pumpkin seeds, flax seed & sesame seed) from the health stores.

RED BANANA MUFFINS
1 cup plain flour
1 cup chapatti (atta/wholemeal) flour
2 tablespoon millet
2 tablespoon Omega mix (raw seeds)
1 teaspoon double action baking soda
100gm raisins (black or golden)

Mix the above dry ingredients in a large bowl by hand. Switch on the oven.

50g butter or equivalent dairy spread
2 small eggs lightly beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large red ripe banana, mashed with a fork
some plain boiled water

If your butter is cold, place it into the flour mixture & use a large spoon to cut it into smaller pieces and mash it while combining with the flour. It will be easier if the butter is soft. That's why, whenever I decide to do baking, the first thing I take out of the fridge is the butter & eggs (to leave at room temperature). Then only would I start looking for suitable recipes & assemble my tools & ingredients.

When the mixture is evenly combined, add the eggs a little at a time, constantly stirring & blending. Add the mashed bananas next and olive oil. Mix until you get the right consistency.

What type of consistency? Not too hard but not too watery. Scoop a large tablespoon and tilt the spoon. If it glides slowly down, its ok!. If it drips down too easily (too much banana or egg), add a little flour or millet/seeds. If it still sticks to the spoon and look lumpy, add some milk or water bit by bit. Mix evenly using the 'folding' method, ie. Stir the mixture with your spoon in a wide circle (either clockwise/anti-clockwise) twisting the spoon slightly to turn over the mixture. When you reach the start of your circle, draw down your spoon horizontally and repeat the who action until it's blended well. You could also imagine making a large figure '8' in the mixture. But don't over mix or else you will deflate your muffin!

Sccop a table spoon of the mixture into paper cups. Use plain white /unbleached ones, not the fancy coloured or golds/silver on the outside & white inside. Sometime ago, I did that and the colour leached into the muffin (eek!) and gold/silver turned an odd shade!

It should fill only half or 3/4 of the cup. Top each muffin with a sprinkle of seeds and bake in a heated oven for 25-30 mins of until the top is slightly brown & seeds are lightly toasted (must switch on the oven earlier so that it is the correct temperature, before you put in the muffin)

Makes 12. Needs one large bowl, one spoon, one 6-pc muffin tray, one cup for measurement.

Have fun trying it!
Do let me know your variations to my recipe, if any!

Any healthy recipes to share??