Small muffins are super for an end-of-evening nibble. These ones are dense with banana and when accompanied with this decaden dipping sauce they are something special.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup caster sugar
• ¾ cup mashed banana
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla esssence
• 2 eggs
• 150 grams butter, melted and cooled
• 70 gram packet pecans, toasted (optional)
• icing sugar to dust the muffins with
• Caramel dipping sauce
• 100 grams butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup mascarpone or light cream cheese

Method

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and caster sugar into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
2. Beat the bananas, golden syrup, vanilla essence and eggs together. Stir into the dry ingredients, and fold in the melted butter.
3. Three-quarters fill 36 small well-greased muffin tins and decorate each with half a pecan if using. Bake at 220ºC for 12 minutes or until the muffins are cooked. Cool in the tins for about 2-3 mintues before dusting with icing sugar and serving with the dipping sauce.
4. Sauce
5. Put the butter and sugar into a microwave-proof glass bowl and cook on 100% power for 3 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook a further 2 minutes. If you do not have a microwave, cook in a saucepan, but stir constantly to prevent any burning. When serving, decorate the top of the caramel sauce with a little extra cream.