Recently I have had to reprimand my children for their overuse of the ‘N’ word. It is something that I, like many others, find deeply offensive. I have, I think, brought them up well and feel aggrieved that this is how they repay me. Such outrageous behaviour goes against everything that I believe to be right. It started off innocently enough with the five year old slipping the odd ‘N’ word into a sentence. I may have turned a blind eye, anything for a quiet life. Then all of a sudden it escalated into using it everywhere, at every possible opportunity, to my complete mortification. Out loud and in front of other people.
Yes folks, they want Nutella on everything, but it is something that simply cannot be allowed. It is to the sweet world what ketchup is to the savoury. We have had to limit ketchup to things that are appropriate. It is allowed on burgers, hot dogs, with chips of course, and on the occasional cooked breakfast. We do not stir ketchup into peas or pasta, nor dollop it onto every plate of food they receive (as I have seen done by some wrong thinking humans ). Similarly we have agreed 'the Nutella terms'. While there shall occasionally be brioche and Nutella, it does not go with brown bread, croissants, or waffles (sorry Mr Waffle ), and never in sandwiches. Maybe on a pancake now and then, but that is definitely it. Under no circumstances is anyone ever to eat it straight out of the jar with a spoon.
These banana and oat breakfast muffins are one of my weapons in the battle against the hazelnut chocolate scourge. Make them up all at once or weigh them out the night before, store the wet and dry ingredients separately in the fridge so all that is left to do in the morning is heat the oven while mashing the bananas and stirring them all in together. Twenty minutes later there are hot-from-the-oven breakfast muffins, not too sweet. They keep well in a tin for a few days and are good smuggled into lunch boxes too. Do not add Nutella!
Ingredients
190g plain flour
80g rolled oats
100g sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
A pinch of salt
1 egg
180ml milk
80ml vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ripe, medium sized bananas, mashed
Directions
This recipe makes 12 muffins. Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 7.
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cases.
Combine the dry ingredients (flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt ) in a bowl.
In another bowl, beat the egg lightly. Stir in the milk, oil, and vanilla.
When ready to bake, mash the banana, and combine thoroughly into the egg mixture.
Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined, do not over mix, dividing the batter evenly among the cups.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. When brown and springy to the touch, allow to cool slightly in the tin before removing to a cooling try. Enjoy warm or cold.
