Easy Banana Muffins Recipe

中文

It has been over a year, can you believe it? The coronavirus lockdown has seen most of us taking up new hobbies, from learning new languages to going for long walks. It is understandably tough for us to regain a sense of balance amid the chaos on a global scale, so I, like many of us, decided to potter about at the stove and focus my mind solely on cooking and baking. For this Ed’s Elevenses, I am going to cook with one of the nation’s favourite ingredients — bananas. Before diving into the dulcetness, let’s look at some common banana-related expressions in English first, shall we?

Hands and fingers

Collective nouns are always interesting. Do you know what a group of bananas is called?

Yes, we can indeed use “a bunch of bananas”, but you may also say “a hand of bananas”.

Why is it “a hand”? Simple — a single banana is called “a finger”, so it makes sense to call a group of bananas “a hand”.

For instance, “Bananas usually grow in hands of five to 20 fingers”.

Speaking “bananas”

“To go bananas” has nothing to do with the actual fruit. It is an expression we use when we are simply too excited that we act and behave like we have gone crazy.

Example: We went bananas when our team won the competition!
Meaning: We were immensely happy when our team won.

Similarly, “to be bananas” means something or someone is insane or silly.

Example: You are going to love these Banana Muffins, they truly are bananas.
Meaning: These Banana Muffins are insane / so delicious that you are going to love them.

Example: You’re going out without sunscreen in this weather? You must be bananas!
Meaning: You are very silly not to protect yourself from the sun.

Easy Banana Muffins Recipe

These sweet morsels are speedy to make. The recipe requires only a handful of simple ingredients, and is fantastic for using up overripe bananas, too.

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: Makes 6 muffins

Ingredients

2 bananas
60 ml vegetable oil (plus extra for the silicone cases, if using)
1 egg
50 g caster sugar (white, golden, any kind)
110 g plain flour
0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp vanilla extract / paste (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC Fan/200ºC Conventional/Gas 6, and line a 6-hole muffin tin with paper cases or brush 6 silicone muffin cases lightly with oil.
2. In a mixing bowl, peel and mash the bananas with a fork.
3. Beat in the oil by hand or with an electric whisk, then add the egg, sugar, and vanilla (if using).
4. In a separate bowl, measure out and sift the flour and bicarb, then mix them gently into the banana mixture.
5. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared muffin cases using an ice-cream scoop or a couple of spoons.
6. Bake for 15–20 minutes in the preheated oven, by which time the muffins should be golden or go bronze.
7. Allow them to cool in the case for a few minutes before cooling them completely on a wire rack.

Tips

• For a nubbly texture, you can add some tiny dark chocolate chips, some chopped nuts or even some squashed (with a fork) raspberries.
• If you are lucky enough to find coffee essence, use it in place of the vanilla for an extra special treat.
• For chocoholics, I would advise you to add 1.5 tbsp of good, sifted cocoa powder into the mixture. I promise you that you will go bananas and finish all the muffins by yourself! So make sure you make enough for yourself (and for your loved ones).

---

Edison Tam MA MCIL CL is a Translator, Proofreader, and Copyeditor (zh-hk/en) who works with students, independent non-fiction writers, academic researchers, and clients from businesses and organisations of all sizes.

He is Chartered Linguist and Member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), and has undergone wide-ranging academic training in Business, Modern Languages, and Applied Linguistics in Hong Kong, London, and Barcelona.