Banana and Chocolate Muffins

Preparation

• 1
  To make the muffins: 1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees, or 200 degrees fan oven.
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  2. Sieve the flour into a large bowl, add the sugar, a pinch of salt and a sprinkling of cinnamon and then mix together.
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  3. In a jug, beat the egg, then whisk in the milk and the vanilla extract.
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  4. Melt the butter in a saucepan then turn off the heat. Pour in the egg and milk mixture and stir well together.
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  5. Peel and mash the two bananas. Add to the liquid in the saucepan, stirring until well combined.
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  6. Spoon the banana mixture into the flour and sugar and then fold it in lightly and gently, not for too long
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  the mixture will still look slightly lumpy but, so long as the dry ingredients have been mixed with the wet, that is as it should be.
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  7. Spoon the muffin mixture into the paper cases, ready placed in patty tins, and bake for 14-16 minutes, or until they feel springy to the touch.
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  To make the chocolate icing:
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  1. Sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a large bowl, if using a handheld mixer, or into a mixer or food processor. Cut the butter into small pieces, add and mix gently with a wooden spoon initially to combine roughly, then use the mixer on a fairly s
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  2. Gradually add the milk, mixing slowly, until it has all been mixed in.
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  3. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and melt in a pyrex bowl placed on a saucepan above, not touching, boiling water, stirring as it melts. Then add the melted chocolate to the other ingredients, stir in gently then mix briskly until everything i
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  4. Pipe onto the muffins, or spread if you prefer, and leave to cool to allow the icing to set.