Double Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Banana Cakes

For those times when you absolutely need cake and you need it pretty sharpish.

Forget mug cakes because unless you have an absolutely huge mug, they just won't cut the mustard. Instead you need a blender cake. Throw in a little of what you have in the cupboard, quickly blitz in a blender and bake for 10 minutes. Utterly simple and super speedy.

My favourite combination is banana, peanut butter and double chocolate. But you could substitute the peanut butter for Nutella, Speculoos or any other biscuit spread. Swap the cocoa and white chocolate for whatever chocolate you like and some malt milk powder like Horlicks.

I can't proclaim that these are guilt free, but they are flourless, free of processed sugars and can also be dairy free.

D O U B L E   C H O C O L A T E   P E A N U T   B U T T E R   &   B A N A N A   C A K E S
(Makes 8-10 muffins or mini loaves)

1 medium/large ripe banana, peeled

150g peanut butter, Nutella or biscuit spread of your choice

40g cocoa powder, malt milk powder or custard powder

170g honey (approx. 3tbsp)

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

pinch of salt

50g white, dark or milk chocolate, chopped

1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Fill a muffin tray with cases or grease a silicone one.
2. Throw all ingredients except the chocolate into a blender and blitz until smooth, about 60 seconds.
3. Divide evenly between the muffin cases, about two thirds full and scatter over the white chocolate chunks.
4. Bake for 8-12 minutes. Nearer 8 minutes for a small banana and up to 12 for a larger banana. Keep your eyes peeled!

Muffins improve with moist banana goodness over a few days but they can also be frozen for up to 6 months. You can always defrost in the microwave in emergencies...your future self will thank you!

I'm looking to test out some banana alternatives now, like cooked apple, sweet potato or pumpkin!

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Recipe: Spelt Waffles & January Waffle

Over the week I've enjoyed a few leisurely breakfasts with a few leisurely days off. My favourite breakfast being these spelt waffles with banana, currants and maple syrup. 

I also got the chance to try out my new waffle iron which was chosen specifically for the shape of waffles it makes. 

Taking stock of the month of January, here are a few other favourites...

A chilly 24 hours in Berlin including Boy, bratwurst and burgers. 

A lazy lunch in Reigate, having a mooch around the shops and a stop of at Cullenders for pea and bacon soup and the best flat white I've had for a while. Including an obligatory stop at Chalk Hill bakery to pick up a loaf or two to take home. 

Making the perfect snickerdoodles. Probably won't be long before there's a dog with a similar name, that's what they're doing with breeds these days, right?

Hearing in the news that a French court has overruled parents naming their child Nutella and named their child Ella instead for them. How considerate. 

That picture of a Daschund reading Jamie Oliver's Comfort Food on the loo. 

A visit to Joe's Southern Kitchen to start this year's chicken escapades. Could this replace my love of burgers?

Friendly deliveries from Abel & Cole and Ocado. They've got it just right. 

And whilst we're talking food (always) some of my favourite recipes from some friendly bloggers include Rosie's spicy chicken pho and Lucy's chocolate chip cookie dippers. 

And if you're looking for the waffle recipe, you can find it here. Regular flour would work also. 

Upside-down Banana Cake with Maple-caramel Sauce

The sun may still be out (slightly), but as far as I'm concerned, we're well into pecan, maple and cinnamon season! When searching for a way to use up some overripe bananas I found this recipe, jumped straight into the car to get supplies and got straight in the kitchen.

I'm pretty sure you could make this in a large cake/tart tin if you don't have a big enough square serving plate. I didn't, so opted to serve it on a baking sheet!

Upside-down banana cake with maple-caramel sauce
(Recipe adapted from BBC Good Food)

100g softened butter, plus extra for greasing
8tbsp maple syrup
3 small overripe bananas and 1 very overripe banana
200g soft dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
2tsp vanilla extract
200g self-raising flour
100g pecans, roughly chopped
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tsp ground cinnamon
200g pot full-fat Greek yogurt, plus extra (or vanilla ice cream) to serve

For the sauce:
100g whole pecans
100g salted butter, diced
100ml double cream
100ml maple syrup

Heat the oven to 160 degrees and grease and line the bottom of a 20cm square tin.

Pour half the maple syrup (4tbsp) over the bottom of the tin, swirl around to give a good coating. Peel and chop the 3 ripe bananas in half and slice lengthways and place cut side down in the tin.

Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add in the eggs and the final very ripe banana, mixing gently. Tip the flour and pecans into a blender and blitz together until the pecans are ground. Stir the flour into the butter mixture and add the bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon. Fold in the yogurt.

Carefully spoon over the bananas, smooth the top with a spatula and bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour. A skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.

To make the sauce, toast the pecans for a few minutes in a pan before adding the rest of the ingredients. Cook on a low heat until all of the butter has melted. Leave to bubble for a further 5 minutes whilst the sauce thickens.

Once the cake is cooked and straight from the oven, poke it half way down with a  skewer all over. Pour over the remaining 4tbsp of maple syrup and leave it to soak in for a few minutes. Upturn the cake onto a serving plate. Reheat the sauce, and serve with Greek yogurt or vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Chip Banana Loaf

   After having recently moved, with a lot of help from my family, I'm trying to show my thanks with food. Last week I invited my brother, Tom, and his fiancée, April, over for dinner.

   For this I made a typical meal that we would make in the days of dog sitting at my Mum's house. Fish baked with homemade pesto, mountains of veg and sweet potato mash. I also made some Vietnamese spring rolls to tuck into whilst waiting and served some of my work friend's amazing chicken samosas.

Low-Fat Banana Muffins

Perfect low-fat muffins for an 'on-the-go' breakfast, or for snacking during the day. The original recipe can be found here. Below is a UK conversion of ingredients:

3 bananas (mashed)
1 egg
60g apple sauce
45g rolled oats
120g wholewheat flour
100g brown sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
60g raw cacao