Courgette and banana muffins / cake

This recipe demanded making immediately for several reasons: (1) yesterday was the first day in about two weeks cool enough to even countenance turning on the oven; (2) I had a hugely overripe banana looking quizzically at me; (3) I also had masses of courgettes (about eight: see double-CSA week). Oh and, I do really enjoy courgette cake.

(made 12 smallish muffins)

1 large very ripe banana
1/4 cup apple puree
1/4 cup veg oil
3/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1 cup grated courgette (about 1/3 of a quite big one)
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup raisins

Heat oven to 350F. Prepare muffin or bread tin. In a large bowl, mash the banana with a fork. Add the apple puree, oil, sugar, and vanilla and mix more with the fork. Mix in the grated courgette. Add 1 cup flour, cinnamon, allspice, bicarb and salt, and mix until just combined. Toss walnuts, raisins and remaining 1/2 cup flour together, then add to the wet batter and mix until just combined. Put into the prepared bread or muffin tin and bake for ~25 min (muffins) or 50-55 min (loaf cake). Ready when golden and a skewer comes out clean (cook 10-15 min longer at 325F if it needs more time). Let cool in the tin for 10 min, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.


These were delicious - so many good things in there! And they rose really nicely and coloured up beautifully. I had a couple of cups of apple puree frozen (that I defrosted by sitting the tub in warm water until I could scrape off 1/4 cup's worth), so this was a pretty fortuitous combination of stuff I just happened to have around the kitchen.