It’s nutella and banana. Do you need any more convincing? I have a banana bread recipe that I love and use often, but sometime a little something different doesn’t hurt!
I would recommend using deeper muffin pans than the ones I used for these, as being able to cover the nutella completely is a bit more ideal, but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t.
Leaving the chocolate exposed will give it a crunch top layer, covering it will give you more oozy, yummy chocolatey goodness.
Now, I’m saying use Nutella here, because it’s a name most people recognise, but you can of course substitute for other chocolate spread, including a home made one.
These are really delicious, moist and tasty. I hope you enjoy them too!
Nutella Banana Muffin
Recipe Type: Treats, Snacks, Deserts
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Adjust the Nutella, or home made Nutella, for more or less chocolatey centres.
Ingredients
180g self raising flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
100g sugar
80g oil (not olive)
2 eggs
2 bananas
100g milk
120g Nutella
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180C
Prepare your muffin pans
Add all the ingredients except Nutella and mix at speed 5 for 10 – 15 seconds to make sure it’s all blended.
Spoon into muffin cases, and drop a little less than a full tablespoon of Nutella into each muffin case.
Bake for 30 minutes to 45 mins, sticking a skewer in every 10 minutes after 20 minutes till it comes out clean.The size of your muffin tray is going to determine how long these takes, hence the variable time.
Remove from muffin trays onto a wire rack, and leave to cool.
We’ve had a really busy week here to the point that it was late last night that I realised that Valentines day was TODAY. My kitchen was still stacked full of boxes, and while I’ve managed to make a little progress, I focused today on making space to bake a chocolate cake for our Valentine’s day dinner. As it turns out, however, the oven in our new house is gas, and has no markings! I’ve never baked in a gas oven before, and this didn’t seem to be the day to start experimenting!
Fortunately I had Saturday Kitchen on while I was unpacking and sorting, and Nigella Lawson came on and made her Hazelnut Chocolate Cheesecake, which looked simple and delicious. Below is an adaptation on her recipe. The basic recipe is the same, but I’ve Thermified it. This recipe, however, you’ll be able to make any even the most basic of food processors.
In Nigella’s recipe (If you read this, Nigella, I hope you don’t mind the first name basis!) she tops it with crushed hazelnuts, but I’ve topped it with cocoa powder, then decided that wasn’t striking enough, so sprinkled icing sugar over it. The icing sugar absorbs into the cake quite quickly though, so only dust with icing sugar when you’re ready to serve. The cocoa doesn’t absorb as easily. I think it would be lovely with fresh raspberries and strawberries in the summer too – or maybe some orange if you like the chocolate and orange combination.
This is absolutely delicious and it’s terribly rich, so a little goes a long way.
And lastly, before I get to the recipe, there is probably a much healthier way of doing this – by making your own hazelnut and chocolate sauce using this recipe here. But we’ve just moved house, and I was looking for a quick fix and I don’t feel (too) sorry.
Hazelnut Chocolate Cheesecake
Recipe Type: Desert
Author: Nigella Lawson, Thermied by Luschka
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 10
A rich and delicious desert, perfect for a special occasion, great when you’re short of time and even better if made in advance.
Ingredients
250g digestive biscuits (substitute for egg free alternatives)
75g soft butter
400g Nutella
500g cream cheese (at room temperature)
60g icing sugar
Instructions
Remove cream cheese from the fridge and bring to room temperature.
Meanwhile, add digestive biscuits, butter and 40g Nutella to the food processor and mix till it resembles wet sand.[b] (30 seconds speed 5)[/b]
Sprinkle over the base of a cake tray, and press down so that it creates a firm and solid base for your cheesecake.
Put it in the fridge – Nigella says overnight, but an hour works fine.
When the base is ready, add the cream cheese, Nutella and icing sugar and mix (with the butterfly) (speed 2, 30 seconds)
Pour over the base,smooth the top and put in the fridge till you’re ready to serve.
I use a[url href=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heart-Shaped-Springform-Great-Baking/dp/B004Z69LXW/”] springform tin[/url], gliding a knife around the edges to loosen first, then releasing and serving on the base.
Once released, decorate the top and serve.
Notes
I think a little Frangelico liquer would be amazing with this, as would orange essence or even rum essence. For a ‘prettier’ presentation, try making it in individual ramekins.