Banana Hazelnut Muffins

Of all fruit available, bananas are probably my least favourite kind. My daughters seem to have inherited that same taste when fruit is regarded. And yet, every now and then I find myself with a bunch of bananas sitting on the kitchen counter... yes, sitting and gradually changing colour, first to bright yellow, then small dark spots start colouring them as if they are embarassed for being there for so long without anyone paying attention to them, and then one day I find myself with all those black skinned bananas that noone even dares to touch.
Time to save them and transform into something that everyone will love for sure.
Ever since I tried the banana bread for the first time I was enthusiastic about the flavour bananas are able to give to a cake. You'll most likely never see me eating a banana flavoured ice cream or some other dessert, but cakes, muffins and similar baked goods are a whole different story.
In my opinion some fruits just give their best in certain combination and when baked (like that divine taste of concord grape in Tuscan grape focaccia). And I believe that banana - chocolate - nuts combination is as close to perfection as it can be.
I couldn't wait to taste these muffins once they were out of the oven, the smell was wonderful, and they absolutely didn't disappoint me (or the kids). A cute message on the tea bag I used was saying, "Don't think, thank".  And I'll just add, "Don't think, make these"  ^__^

Banana Hazelnut Muffins

* 70 g  butter, melted and cooled
* 3 very ripe bananas
* 3 eggs
* 50 ml milk
* 200 g flour
* 120 g brown sugar
* 50 g finely ground hazelnuts
* 30 g unsweetened cocoa
* 3 teaspoons baking powder
* 75 g chocolate drops

Put the bananas into a mixing bowl and mesh them with a fork  (don't use a mixer or a blender).
Add the melted butter, the eggs and the milk. Shortly whisk everything together.
In another bowl mix all the dry ingredients: the flour, the sugar, the baking powder, the cocoa and the hazelnuts.
Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir just enough to bring everything together. Stir in the chocolate drops.
Place the bowl with the batter in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Heat the oven to 180°C.
Line muffin pans with paper cups (you'll need 16-18) and fill them with the batter up to 2/3.
Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle doesn't come out clean.
Let them cool on a cooling rack.

Muffin alle banane e nocciole


* 70 g di burro
* 3 banane molto mature
* 3 uova
* 50 ml di latte
* 200 g di farina "00"
* 120 g di zucchero di canna
* 50 g di nocciole tritate finemente
* 30 g cacao amaro
* 1 bustina di lievito per dolci
* 75 g di gocce di cioccolato fondente


Mettete le banane in una ciotola e schiacciatele con una forchetta (non usate il frullatore).
Aggiungete il burro fuso freddo, le uova e il latte. Mescolate con una frusta a mano.
In un'altra ciotola setacciate insieme la farina, il lievito e il cacao, mescolateli con lo zucchero e le nocciole.
Unite la miscela di uova e banane e mescolate con un cucchiaio di legno. Aggiungete anche le gocce di cioccolato e mettete il composto in frigo per 10 minuti.
Nel frattempo riscaldate il forno a 180°C e rivestite la teglia per i muffin con dei pirottini.
Riempiteli per 2/3 con il composto e cuocete i muffin per 20-25 minuti o finché uno stuzzicadenti infilato al centro non esce pulito.
Lasciateli raffreddare su una griglia.

Muffini s bananama i lješnjacima


* 70 g maslaca (otopljenog i prohlađenog)
* 3 jako zrele banane
* 3 jaja
* 50 ml mlijeka
* 200 g brašna
* 120 g smeđeg šećera
* 50 g mljevenih lješnjaka
* 30 g gorkog kakaa
* 1 vrećica praška za pecivo
* 75 g čokoladnih kapljica (ili nasjeckane čokolade)


Stavite banane u zdjelu i dobro ih izgnječite vilicom da dobijete pire (NE miksajte ih u blenderu).
Dodajte bananama otopljeni maslac, jaja i mlijeko. Izmiješajte sve ručnom pjenjačom.
U drugoj zdjeli pomiješajte prosijano brašno, šećer, kakao, mljevene lješnjake i prašak za pecivo.
Dodajte smjesu od jaja i banana u zdjelu sa suhim sastojcima i izmiješajte drvenom žlicom tek toliko da se sve sjedini. Umiješajte čokoladne kapljice i stavite zdjelu u hladnjak 10 minuta.
Rasporedite smjesu u kalupe za muffine obložene papirnim košaricama. Napunite kalupe do otprilike 2/3.
Po želji pospite još krupno mljevenih lješnjaka po površini i stavite ih peći u pećnicu zagrijanu na 180°C, 20-ak minuta (provjerite čačkalicom ubodenom u sredinu jesu li pečeni - čačkalica mora izaći čista).