banana jam muffins

I love to buy bananas. Not only can they be eaten on their own, overripe bananas are perfect to be used in baking.

If I am a little "lazy", I would use overripe bananas to bake cakes or muffins.

If I am a little more "diligent", I would use overripe bananas to fry jemput-jemput.

Adding overripe bananas and jam to a muffin recipe is a lovely combination. The muffins have a nice aroma and are delicious.

INGREDIENTS

3 overripe bananas

2 cups plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup castor sugar

1/4 cup butter (softened)

1/4 cup sunflower oil

1/2 cup jam of your choice

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.

2. Line the muffin pans with paper muffin cases. Set aside.

3. Mash the bananas in a bowl. Set aside.

4. Sift the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

5. Cream the sugar and butter in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.

6. Add the oil, jam and bananas to the creamed mixture.

7. Fold in the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Do not overstir.

8. Pour onto the prepared muffin pans.

9. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean.

crunchy peanut butter cookies

This is a simple recipe that even the young ones can follow as it does not require the use of an electric mixer. I used a hand whisk instead.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup castor sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees celsius.

2. Line the baking tray with baking paper. Set aside.

3. Sift the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside.

4. Cream the castor sugar, brown sugar, salt, butter and peanut butter in a mixing bowl.

5. Beat the egg and vanilla essence into the creamed mixture until light and fluffy.

6. Fold in the sifted flour mixture using a wooden spatula and mix until well blended.

7. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking tray.

8. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.

9. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack before storing them in an air-tight container.

Pear muffins

This is my first attempt at baking pear muffins.

It turned out quite nicely. However, following feedback from SG, I will reduce the quantity of salt slightly.

INGREDIENTS

2 pears (peeled, cored and cut into small cubes)
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup castor sugar
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup pear juice - I used the Heinz pear juice (which is meant for children - it is less sweet)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.

2. Line the muffin pans with paper muffin cases. Set aside.

3. Sift the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in the cut pears.

4. Add the castor sugar and mix well.

5. Add the oil, butter and juice and mix until just blended. Do not overstir.

6. Pour into the prepared muffin pans.

7. Bake at 180 degrees celsius for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean.

8. Remove the baked muffins from the muffin pan and leave to cool on a wire rack.

banana raisin bread pudding

It has been a while since I last blogged. It was not because I have not been baking / cooking. Rather, I do not seem to have enough hours in a day lately.... sigh....

Today, I asked Da to buy a fresh loaf of milk bread and a fresh bunch of bananas (pang jio) for Princess. Da asked what about the existing loaf of milk bread that had only a few slices left and the existing bunch of bananas that had only 4 bananas left). That gave me an idea.

Banana raisin bread pudding!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups low fat milk

1/4 cup butter (melted)

3 eggs

1/4 cup castor sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla essence

4 slices bread (cut into small cubes)

4 overripe bananas (mashed)

1/2 cup raisins

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.

2. Grease and line a 9" square cake pan with baking paper. Set aside.

3. Mix the milk and melted butter. Set aside.

4. Whisk the eggs, castor sugar, brown sugar, ground cinnamon and vanilla essence until well combined.

5. Add the milk mixture and whisk until evenly combined.

6. Add the bread and leave to stand for 5 minutes.

7. Stir in the mashed bananas and raisins.

8. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and bake at 180 degrees celsius for 50 minutes.