Ingredients

Muffins

• 125g butter, diced
• 75g caster sugar
• 100g soft brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 200g self raising flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon, ground
• 75ml milk
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 3 bananas, peeled and mashed with the back of a fork(tossed with a little lemon juice to stop them browning)

Method

1. Pre heat an oven to 190°C. Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time mixing them until well combined.
2. Sift the flour and cinnamon together. Gradually beat in the flour and milk, alternating between the two until well combined with the butter mixture. Mix in the maple syrup.
3. Fold in the mashed bananas and combine well with the batter.
4. Spoon the muffin batter into greased muffin tines so that they are just below 3/4 full. Place the muffins on the centre shelf of the preheated oven for 20 minutes. The muffins are cooked when they are firm and risen. To test if they are cooked insert a thin skewer or knife in the centre of one, it should come out clear when cooked.
5. Remove the muffins from the oven and turn them out on a cooling rack and serve them warm or allow them to cool and store them in airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve (the muffins are best served on the day).

• To make chocolate chip muffins simply add 50g cocoa powder instead of cinnamon, replace the brown sugar with caster sugar, and fold in 70g of finely chopped plain chocolate instead of the maple syrup.