Double-choc and banana muffins

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups self-rising flour
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• ¾ cup soft brown sugar
• 300 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1 egg, beaten
• a pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla essence or extract
• 1 cup milk
• ¾ cup canola or sunflower oil
• 1-2 bananas, very ripe and mashed
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 80 g pitted dates, soaked in boiling water (optional)
• Cinnamon sugar, dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced.
2. In one bowl, sift the flour and cocoa together, mix in the brown sugar and the chopped chocolate and set aside.
3. Mash the ripe banana with the soaked and strained dates and add your cinnamon to this mix.
4. In another bowl, whisk your egg, vanilla, milk, oil and the banana and date mixture above.
5. Create a well in the centre of your flour bowl and pour the banana mixture into the bowl. Fold carefully, and do not over-mix the batter.
6. Spoon the mixtures into a 12-hole muffin tray lined with patty cases. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar.
7. Bake for 12-14 mins or until the centre of the muffin is cooked through (see Note).

Note

• Insert a wooden skewer or knife into the centre of one of the muffins before removing the pan from the oven. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs clinging to the pick, the muffins are done.