Banana and Chocolate Cupcakes

Banana are so cheap now compared to last year when most of the bananas in Queensland were wiped out by mother nature. The price of the bananas sky-rocketed--around $16.99 per kg! Now the cheapest I've seen is $1.50 per kg! Now that Bananas are no longer considereds luxurious products, I can afford to use them in a lot of my bakings! I found this recipe from www.taste.com.au This site is great!! It contains all the amazing recipes from different food magazines, and it has ratings from people who've tried out the recipe. It's so useful and I recommend it to everyone who loves cooking!

Banana and Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

150g butter, at room temperature
155g (3/4 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas, peeled, mashed
1 x 200g pkt good-quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
300g (2 cups) self-raising flour
60ml (1/4 cup) milk
White chocolate curls, to decorate

Chocolate frosting

1 x 200g pkt good-quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
125ml (1/2 cup) thickened cream

Method

• Preheat oven to 180°C. Line sixteen 80ml (1/3-cup) capacity muffin pans with paper cases.
• Use an electric beater to beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition until just combined. Add the banana and chocolate and stir until well combined. Use a large metal spoon to fold in the flour and milk until well combined. Spoon the mixture evenly among the prepared muffin pans and smooth the surfaces. Bake in oven for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, to make the chocolate frosting, place the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water). Use a metal spoon to stir occasionally until the chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours or until almost firm. Use an electric beater to beat the chocolate mixture until pale and fluffy.Use a round-bladed knife to spread the cupcakes evenly with frosting. Sprinkle with chocolate curls to serve.

Australian Good Taste - April 2006 , Page 98

Recipe by Michelle Southan

I think this is a good and simple recipe. I used chocolate chips instead of the chopped chocolates. I personally like it better when it's slightly heated in the microwave and when all the chocolate frosting becomes a little gooey. *slurp*