Today in the History Books

Today I am...

Making:

A variation of my Urban Shell's Scarf - a neckwarmer! This will be the prototype for a handmade stall I am taking part in with my SIL and another friend. I will be writing up the pattern for it, too!

Reading: 

Hind's Feet in High Places, a really sweet story that is also an allegory about living as a Christian.

Going to Cook:  

Banana Muffins - I have 5 bananas that are so ripe they are black. They are going to be so easy to mash.

Planning on implementing:

Family Dinners - we need more talk time! However, it also means clearing the diningroom table, which can be a bit of a challenge.

Listening to:

Lincoln Brewster's album, Today is the Day. I love this so much! Here is the title song. (Sorry! I can not remember how to get the video to show up here!)

Thinking About:

This Easter weekend, and all the things we are going to - church and family dinners. Also about what else to put in this post :)

Grateful for:

University Holidays! Also my husband (who is barely able to contain his excitement about two 4-day work weeks in a row), my friends (I had a great time last night!) and my cat. I love how his whole body vibrates when he purrs. I am also grateful for chocolate and homemade hot cross buns. Bring on the weekend!

What is making history for you today?

Best Banana Cake (or Muffins) in the WORLD

I had some bananas that were getting a bit ripe. I decided to see what the internet would turn up in the way of recipes. Hmmm... Banana Bread. No thanks. Hmmm... Banana and _____ (insert something either expensive or exotic) bake/dessert/muffins/whatever. No thanks - I didn't have the ingredients or the money to get them (ah, the student life!). All I really wanted was a recipe for banana muffins or banana cake, but nothing I found was quite right. Finally I came to my senses and turned to my bookshelf. I pulled out the Kids' Cookbook that I have had since I was eight years old. And in it was the perfect banana cake recipe. And I didn't even have to print it out! Yay!
This might be a picture of the first time I made this recipe, but I think it is actully of a banana and ginger cake I made (and slightly overcooked...) hence the crystallized ginger decorating it.
I made the recipe a couple of times as a cake (each time I doubled the recipe), but the third time I made muffins! Well... I used paper cases on a tray so I wouldn't have to washup the muffin tin, but they are not what I would consider cupcakes. Anyway, this recipe make the Best Banana Muffins Ever! So moist, delicious, yummy, simple to make (seriously, you do it all in a saucepan). And the recipe is so easily doubled. Just a note: if you do double it, cook it in a round cake tin instead of a ring tin. Unless you want a very tall cake. I learnt the hard way :)
See some more photos here.

Well, here it is in it's original form, with my extra notes in brackets:

Banana Cake

60g butter
1/2 cup caster sugar (I often use raw sugar, which works just as well. Plus it adds a 'rustic' element)
1 egg
1 tspn vanilla essence
1 cup SR flour (For each 1/2 cup of plain flour I add 1 tspn cream of tartar and 1/2 tspn bicarb of soda)
1/4 cup milk
1 ripe banana, mashed

Turn oven to 180'C (350'F) and grease a 20cm ring tin. Dust all over the inside of the tin with a little flour. (Use a round tin if you double the recipe, or a muffin tin if making muffins - a single batch makes about 9 muffins)

Gently melt butter in a big pan. Don't let it boil.

Take off heat and add sugar, egg and vanilla. Beat it well with a wooden spoon until smooth.

Sift in flour. Add milk and mashed banana. Stir until just mixed. (This explains why it is so good for muffins!)

Spread evenly into tin. Bake 30 minutes (about 15 if making muffins).

Take photos so you can share your achievement with the blogging world.

Eat them all before anyone else gets home!