Brain Boosting Blueberry Muffins

Heya,

 

My brother and I are both revising at the moment. Him for his A-levels and me for my Maths Exam. One of us is revising super-duper hard and doesn't procrastinate and the other made muffins today (In fairness J's A-levels are more important)! 

I wanted to make something that can help him in whatever way. For his mental health, it obviously had to involve peanut butter however I stand by the phrase "food is medicine" and wanted to incorporate ingredients that are "brain boosting" as there's no harm in eating food that Dr google says are good for the brain. It's a relatively well-known fact in my house that blueberries are good for the brain but after some digging, I also discovered the benefits of banana, seeds in general and dark chocolate. The initial recipe actually came from Instagram (which definitely listens to my brain thinking it would be nice bake instead of do maths) but I played around with a few ingredients because a) who keeps pumpkin purée in their house and b) I had black bananas I needed to use. I came up with this recipe which not only is yummy but also has some really good "brainy" ingredients perfect for a revision snack. They melt in your mouth and are the perfect texture and blend of flavours. Just be careful when checking if they are cooked as the dark chocolate on top makes them look slightly burnt as it melts! I hope this recipe makes your brain as happy as it makes mine!

Here is my recipe for Brain Boosting Blueberry Muffins:

Ingredients: (Makes 6) 

• 50g Oats
• 50g Plain Flour
• 1tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4tsp Salt
• 20g Flax/Chia Seeds
• 1/2tbs Cinnamon
• 100g Mashed Banana (about 2ish small bananas)
• 50g Brown Sugar
• 30ml Olive Oil
• 1/2tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2tsp Almond Extract
• 1 Egg
• 25g Peanut Butter
• 100g Blueberries, chopped if big
• Dark Chocolate, grated on top for sprinkling (optional but recommended!)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180'c, gas mark 4.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the oats, flour, baking powder, salt, chia and cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl, mix the banana and brown sugar until combined. 
4. Add the oil, vanilla and almond extract then continue to mix.
5. Stir in the egg and peanut butter before folding in the blueberries.
6. Add the floury mixture, about a third at a time, and mix until fully combined.
7. Spoon the mixture into 6 muffin cases (each one should weigh 80-85g)
8. Bake for 25 minutes, turning around the tray after 15 to ensure even cooking.
9. Enjoy!!

Comment below if you have made this bake or have any questions!
Lottie X