Branana.

When Andy is home, we do most of our fruit & veg shopping at the local farmer's market (the one at Willow's, if anyone is interested).  Especially at this time of year, most of the produce is grown locally by people you can have conversations with, and it is very often better tasting and cheaper than what you get at the supermarket, or even at the fruit & veg store.

One of my favourite things about shopping at the market is when the sellers throw in a few extras for free -- usually overripe, damaged, or tiny produce that is still perfectly fine.  We were recently sent home with a few free very ripe bananas.  With a fair few bananas already in the freezer, I wanted to use them up quickly.  Anyways, we like to have muffins in the freezer to take to uni as a snack during the week.  So I concocted these "Branana Muffins".  They are based on the recipe for 'Jam-Filled Oat Bran Muffins' from The Joy of Vegan Baking, which Andy has made once before.  That time, we didn't have oat bran so used ground up oats.  The result was yummy but heavy and a bit chompy.  This version is much better.  Healthy tasting, but much lighter with a pleasant texture, and a surprise inside.

Branana Muffins

2 cups Oat Bran

1 cup Unbleached All-purpose Flour

1/2 cup Organic Brown Sugar

4 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Cinnamon, Ground

1/2 tsp Salt

1 1/4 cups Almond Milk

1/3 cup Canola Oil

1/3 cup California Walnut Baking Pieces

3 tbsp Strawberry Preserves

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/jam-filled-oat-bran-muffins/#ixzz0x1C9DqKi

2 cups Oat Bran

1 cup Unbleached All-purpose Flour

1/2 cup Organic Brown Sugar

4 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Cinnamon, Ground

1/2 tsp Salt

1 1/4 cups Almond Milk

1/3 cup Canola Oil

1/3 cup California Walnut Baking Pieces

3 tbsp Strawberry Preserves

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/jam-filled-oat-bran-muffins/#ixzz0x1C9DqKi

2 c. oat bran
1 c. plain flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large banana, mashed very well
1 1/4 c. non-dairy milk
1/3 c. rice bran oil (or other neutral-tasting veg. oil)

Filling:
1 large banana, mashed very well
2 T. peanut butter

Heat oven to 210 (425), lightly grease 12 muffin cups.  In a large bowl,  combine oat bran, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Mix until no lumps remain.  In a separate bowl, combine mashed banana, milk and oil.  In a third, small bowl, mix filling ingredients.  Add banana-milk-oil mixture to dry ingredients and combine until just mixed.  Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling them not quite half full.  Then put a tsp or so of filling mixture into the center of each muffin tin.  Spoon remaining batter on top, and then bake.  The recipe says 15-20 minutes, but mine took almost twice as long, so check them after 20 minutes and see how they are going.  Cool in the tins for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Banana-PB filling!  It doesn't stay very gooey, but it is a moist flavour burst in the centre of these muffins.

2 cups Oat Bran

1 cup Unbleached All-purpose Flour

1/2 cup Organic Brown Sugar

4 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Cinnamon, Ground

1/2 tsp Salt

1 1/4 cups Almond Milk

1/3 cup Canola Oil

1/3 cup California Walnut Baking Pieces

3 tbsp Strawberry Preserves

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/jam-filled-oat-bran-muffins/#ixzz0x1C9DqKi