Banana Muffins (with or without the nuts!) Can be MEWS free

I have long used my Mum's recipe for Banana Muffins, which you can find here. However I was keen to develop a recipe that was truer to a muffin mix but also used a variety of flours. I confess the reason for the latter was partly because my baking cupboard is overflowing with flours at present, but I'm trying to be braver in my cooking too.

I have a lovely little muffin and cupcake recipe book by Ann Nichol - listed here on GoodReads.

I used the "Streusel-Topped Banana Muffins" recipe as a starting point, and adapted.

Ingredients

• 5oz gluten free flour mix - I used 3oz Dove's Farm, 1oz coconut flour to allow more moisture to be absorbed into the recipe, and 1oz peanut flour for flavour and protein. OBVIOUSLY peanuts are a MASSIVE issue for many, so you can use any similar protein based flour instead, or substitute another oz of your usual GF flour.
• 1teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 heaped teaspoon of baking powder
• 2 large ripe bananas (if smaller, reduce flour a little)
• 1 large egg
• 50mls sunflower oil (DO NOT use olive oil, it is too heavy for baking, same with coconut oil)
• 50mls your choice of milk substitute. I used rice milk.

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/180C if fan/Gas Mark 6
• You will need 6-8 large muffin cases or 10 cupcake cases (better for children)
• Sift the flours, xanthan gum and baking powder together (worth doing with a mix of flours)
• Mash bananas well, make a well in centre of flour and add them to the bowl
• In another bowl, beat egg, oil and milk together **
• Add wet bowl to dry bowl and mix well
• Spoon into paper cases so they are approx two thirds full
• Bake for 20-25 mins until golden and a skewer/knife comes out clean

** Because banana is an excellent raising agent, and because coconut flour holds fluid in well, this is quite a good recipe to swap the egg for egg replacer to make MEWS free muffins.

Eat fresh from the oven, or freeze for later once completely cool. (If there are any left....!)