Chocolate and banana muffins

Since coming back from a two week holiday in Thailand, I've felt that I need to start being a little healthier in my choices for meals... I went a little overboard on the beer, rice, curry, spring rolls, drunken McDonalds... the list could go on. Also, because I've changed from a busy active job in the restaurant to an office based job where I sit down nearly all day, I need to start eating less junk and making fresh food everyday.

I gave myself a task of not buying lunch from cafeterias and takeaway outlets while being at work for a whole month... I didn't do too badly - I bought food maybe once a week, but I'm determined to do 100% this month. Not only am I eating fresh healthy food everyday, I am saving that cash to treat my boyfriend to something nice and the end of the month!

A little ironic, I know, that I've made muffins despite preaching about eating healthier. There was some over-ripe bananas that I had been avoiding so instead of punishing my boyfriend to eat 4 over ripe bananas in the space of 24 hours, I made some muffins!

Ingredients

3 very ripe or overripe bananas
125 ml vegetable oil
2 large eggs
100 grams soft light brown sugar
225 grams plain flour
3 tablespoons best-quality cocoa powder (sifted)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 and line a 12-bun muffin tin with papers.
2. Mash the bananas. Stir stirring, add the oil followed by the eggs and sugar.
3. Mix the flour, cocoa powder and bicarb together and add, beating gently, to the banana mixture, then spoon it into the prepared papers.

4. Bake for 15–20 minutes, by which time the muffins should be dark, rounded. Remove from the tin after they've cooled for a few minutes!

Mine kept for about 3 days in an airtight box.

I would have made lemon & poppy seed muffins, but the UAE doesn't allow poppy seeds into the country.