Banana oat cupcakes

180g butter, softened

150g sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup milk

2 ½ cups self-raising flour

1 teaspoon bi-carb

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon  

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 ½ cups oats or muesli

You could also add in dried fruit, desiccated coconut or even chocolate chips for a bit of a different flavou as well. Just pop them in at the end. 

This recipe makes about 25 medium to large sized cupcakes. 

Preheat oven to 190C. Place patty tins into muffin trays.

Beat together butter and sugar until it’s fluffy and slightly lighter in colour.

Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well between additions.

Mix the flour, bi-carb and cinnamon into one bowl, and beat this into the sugar-butter batter at intervals with the milk and vanilla.

Beat it all well. Remove beater.

Using a spoon, gently mix in the banana and oats until well combined.

Spoon the mixture into the cupcake tins.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until risen and browned on the top.

I decorated mine with a simple vanilla butter creamfrosting. They also just taste good on their own, kind of like a muffin.

Bircher muesli

Makes 3 servings @ 370 calories each

I made a batch of this to last me for three breakfasts, just to make it all a bit easier. Basically , you need to soak the oats and dried fruit and nuts in the juice and milk, and then in the morning, add in the fresh fruit and yoghurt.

1 cup oats (I used instant oats)

½ cup apple juice

½ cup skim milk

1 tablespoon seeds – sunflower, pumpkin etc

12 walnuts or a tablespoon slithered almonds

2 tablespoons dried blueberries or cranberries

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon mixed spice

In each bowl:

1 apple, grated or finely chopped

(Could substitute for other fruit – sliced banana, chopped fresh pineapple, pear etc)

1 tablespoon natural, low fat yoghurt

 

Method: Combine oats, apple juice, milk, nuts, seeds and dried fruits in a bowl and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, add in the fresh fruit and yoghurt and combine well.

Drizzle with some honey if you want a bit more sweetness.