Spiced Carrot and Banana Muffins

These muffins started as a way to use up the bananas that had gone spotty on the bench and the carrots lurking at the bottom of the crisper. That's the best kind of baking, I think: a bit of thrift that turns out better than the plan. The bananas do most of the work here. When they are very ripe, the starch has turned to sugar and the mashed fruit keeps the crumb tender and moist without needing much fat, which is why the batter feels looser than you might expect.

Carrot is an old friend in muffins and cakes. Grated finely, it melts into the batter and adds a gentle sweetness and a little moisture of its own. If you grate it on the small holes of a box grater rather than the big ones, you will barely see it in the finished muffin, and kids who usually pick out vegetables tend not to notice. Walnuts are worth the handful. They add a faint bitterness that balances the cinnamon, and toasting them for a few minutes in a dry pan before chopping makes a real difference to the flavour.

A word on the prunes. They are sticky and sweet, so chop them small so they spread through the batter instead of sinking to the bottom. Blueberries work just as well if you would rather have a fresher, sharper bite. Either way, a light fold is all they need. Overworking wholemeal flour can make muffins heavy, so stop as soon as the flour streaks disappear.

To store them, keep the muffins in an airtight tin on the bench for up to two days. After that, they freeze well. Wrap each one separately, and a quick 20 seconds in the microwave brings them back to something close to fresh from the oven. I often split a cold muffin and toast it with a thin scrape of butter for breakfast.

For something to have alongside, a spoonful of plain Greek yoghurt makes a nice, cool contrast to the warm spice, and so does a cup of black tea with milk. If you want something a little more special for guests, a warm pear sauce is lovely spooned over the top. You could also make a batch of Warm Maple Cinnamon Pear Sauce and keep it in the fridge for the week. If you're in the mood for a lighter treat later in the day, Grilled Peaches with Warm Spices shares the same cinnamon warmth without any flour at all. And for a weekend breakfast with a different texture, Fluffy Banana Oat Griddle Cakes use up the same fruit in a completely different way.