banana bread cookie? or muffin?

So many of you have loved my grain-free, low-sugar Banana Bread recipe, so I thought I'd create a variation...with icing! Raw chocolate icing, the kind that also happens to be good for you. 

The first time I tested the recipe I made the mixture into muffins. They are deliciously dense and perfect with a big dollop of raw chocolate icing and a sprinkling of raw cacao nibs. However, I thought the dense texture would lend itself nicely to a cookie...so I made them into cookies next time around and topped with a swathe of the icing and a sprinkling of coconut. Either way works, so go with whatever floats your boat. I personally prefer the cookie version.

As usual, the recipe is grain-free, refined sugar-free and it's also nut-free for those (like me) who can't handle too many nuts. If you're not a fan of coconut flour, you could substitute almond meal or another nut meal and just add a little extra (because nut meals don't soak up as much moisture as coconut flour).

The muffin version, waiting to be iced.

ingredients

For the cookies or muffins:

• 1 large (or 2 small) banana
• 2 eggs
• � cup coconut flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• � tsp vanilla powder or extract
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp raw virgin coconut oil, melted
• 1 cup desiccated coconut (unsweetened and no preservatives - ingredients should just be coconut)

For the raw chocolate icing:

• 2 tbsp raw virgin coconut oil, softened
• 1 tsp tahini or nut butter (optional)
• 1-2 tsp rice malt syrup or raw honey
• 2-3 tbsp raw cacao powder
• Pinch of salt
• Raw cacao nibs and/or coconut for sprinkling on top

preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 170�C. If you're making the cookies, line a baking tray with baking paper. If you're making the muffins, line a muffin tin with 4 - 6 muffin cases or squares of baking paper (depending how large you want to make them).

2. Mash the banana in a bowl with a fork until smooth. Stir through the eggs, lightly beating with the fork to combine. Sift the coconut flour into the bowl to remove any lumps, then stir in the cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and salt until everything is well combined. Stir through the melted coconut oil and the desiccated coconut. This should thicken the mixture.

4. If you're making the cookies, form the mixture into balls and press onto the lined baking tray about 1cm thick. The mixture will feel quite wet, but it should hold together. If it's not holding together, add a little extra coconut flour. If you're making the muffins, spoon the mixture into the lined muffin tin. Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes and the muffins for 25-30 minutes. 

6. While the cookies or muffins are baking, prepare the icing by mixing all of the icing ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

7. Once the cookies or muffins are completely cold (I put them in the freezer for a few minutes because I'm impatient), they are ready to ice. If you try and ice them while they are still warm, the icing will melt and run all over the place. It's best if the icing is a paste consistency. If your icing is too runny, place it in the fridge for a few minutes then take it out and give it a good stir. If it's too hard, sit the bowl in some hot water until it starts to soften, then give it a good stir. Once you've iced the cookies or muffins, top with some raw cacao nibs or coconut and place in the fridge until the icing sets.

Makes about 8 cookies or 4 large muffins.

NB: I use a 20ml tbsp. If you have a 15ml tbsp (if you're in the US or UK), you can measure out 4 tsp in place of each tbsp.