These muffins fresh from the oven on Valentine’s morning became a bit of a tradition for my “too old for kiddie Valentine’s” homestay students. For the Canadian contingent it was often a taste of home and for those coming from foreign shores, something entirely new.
Since February is also Bake for Family Fun Month, this is a simple recipe, something that family could do together. The recipe only makes six muffins so what isn’t eaten for breakfast can easily be taken to work/school. Doubling will give make a full dozen.
Gather the wet and dry ingredients the night before and then peel and add the banana in the morning. The muffins can bake while the household is getting ready to leave for the day or a batch can be made at a time when the everyone can gather together for 30 – 40 minutes.
You will need:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup Demerara sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 Tbsp. oil, vegetable or coconut
1 egg
6 Tbsp. milk, of your choice
1 banana, ripe
3 – 4 Tbsp. chocolate, chopped or chips
If this is becomes a family baking project, it is also a great time to share a preparation practice by focusing everyone’s intentions on the project at hand, “love in action” as they would say at Findhorn in Scotland. Share that washing hands is a good way of letting anything bothering you drip away before starting and putting on an apron helps to separate regular time from “special” time. Begin.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease or line a six compartment regular or large muffin tin.
In a 4 cup measuring cup combine the dry ingredients; flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt. Both rolled oats and oat flour will work as will substituting the 1/4 cup with all purpose flour if oats are not handy. The oats are just part of my ongoing attempts to get more food value into recipes.
Add the chocolate to the dry ingredients, chips are good I was using up leftover bits from chocolate making classes.
In a 2 cup measuring cup combine the wet ingredients; peanut butter, oil, egg, milk and banana. Use a stick blender to combine the wet ingredients.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently mix, just until the dry ingredients are moist.
Over mixing creates tunnels in the finished muffins. Transfer the batter into the muffin cups and garnish with a little extra chocolate or a slice of banana, fresh or dried.
Bake for 18 – 22 minutes.
A little extra fun at Valentine’s is to top the muffins with yellow hearts. If there is an edible marker in the house, then on the plain side of the heart, add any kind of design that inspires you.
Serve warm, possibly with butter and definitely with Valentine wishes all round.
Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins from My Kitchen Wand
