When my husband went away on a business trip recently, I found myself in possession of a bunch of bananas that were threatening to go bad on me. So I applied the "lemon rule" ... that is, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Life gave me very ripe bananas ... so I made muffins!
Very ripe bananas are perfect for baked goods because they mash beautifully, add moisture and flavor and give everything they touch a light banana flavor that can't be gotten with extracts and the like.
I'm fond of making muffins in particular because they are perfect for breakfast. They are already portioned beautifully ... just add a piece of fruit and a cup of chai and slather on a bit of nutella -- at least, that's what I do! I often make a big batch like this and freeze them. Then, when I want one for breakfast, I pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds and I've got a warm muffin and a lot more where that came from.
This recipe takes advantage of whole wheat flour for extra fiber and a slightly nutty flavor that's boosted considerably by the big chunks of walnuts in the batter. I used four bananas to make this recipe, but you may only need three or as many as five ... so make sure you measure. I usually mash my bananas in a resealable plastic bag and squish it into a large measuring cup to "eyeball" this measurement. Then I cut the corner off the bag and push the mashed banana into the bowl. It's the easiest and lowest mess method I've come across!
As always, I encourage you to share your recipe ideas and comments. You can always post comments in the discussion board using the forms provided in the articles or email me directly at .
I-Need-To-Use-These-Bananas Muffins
- 3 c. whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 1 T. baking powder
- 1 c. packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 c. skim milk
- 1/2 c. butter -- melted
- 4 medium bananas -- mashed (about 2 cups)
- 1 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray 24 standard muffin cups with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flours, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and brown sugar.
In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk, butter and bananas. Add all at once to the flours and stir until just moistened. Stir in the nuts.
Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool.
- Yields: 2 dozen muffins
- Preparation Time: 25 minutes