Episode 5 of Thandi's recipes

Banana & Nutella Swirl Muffins

If you love nutella and bananas this recipe is perfect for you. However, one may omit the bananas if they wish as well add roasted chopped nuts for extra nuttiness! Try making these with your little ones during the summer break. 

Makes 12 large muffins or 18 small ones

Ingredients

390g Self raising flour sifted

210g Caster sugar

120ml Vegetable oil

250ml Semi skimmed Milk

2 Eggs

2tsp Vanilla Extract

1 ripe banana mashed

Small jar of Nutella

Handful banana flakes

Muffin cases or baking cups

Method

Set oven to 180 degrees celcius (Gas mark 4)

Whisk eggs using an electric whisk and add the milk and oil then whisk on a medium setting for 1 minute. 

 

Add the caster sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla extract and mashed banana to the mixing bowl and whisk on a medium setting until mixture is smooth.

Line a muffin tray with muffin cases and spoon mixture into the cases filling them only 2/3 full. If using baking cups you don’t need a muffin tray just a baking tray. Baking cups are expensive but perfect for special occasions

Spoon a teaspoon of nutella onto the mixture  

Using a table knife, make swirls in the mix incorporating the nutella thoroughly into the mixture but not evenly. If you do not swirl enough the nutella sinks to the bottom of the cupcakes. 

Bake the cupcakes on the middle shelf of the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and skewer test is clear. Cool for 10 minutes then serve with some lovely tea or milk for the kids!

oooOooo

Thandi’s Caramel sauce and icing

I use this icing and sauce for decorating Chocolate turtle cake and it always goes down a treat. This recipe is enough to decorate an 8″ 4 layer cake. I also add nuts to the caramel sauce for some nuttiness!

Ingredients

310g caster sugar

130g salted butter at room temperature cubed

180ml heavy whipping cream at room temperature

460g icing sugar plus extra for finishing

2-3tbsp milk

Method

Pour sugar into a large saucepan and level out using spatula

Heat on a medium heat whisking the sugar until melted. The sugar will initially clump but after 10 minutes of whisking should all be melted

Stop whisking once sugar is melted and allow to simmer until light brown coloration. This happens very quickly so do not leave unattended. 

Remove sauce from heat, add butter and whisk until all the butter has melted. You will see the mixture bubbling up. This is normal.

Slowly add cream to the caramel and whisk until cream has fully combined with sauce. This caramel sauce is ready to use for drizzling and flavouring other bakes. 

To make caramel icing, transfer sauce to a mixing bowl and sift in icing sugar and add milk and beat on a medium setting until smooth and fluffy. If too thick add more milk, if too runny add more icing sugar 

More recipes to come........