I love cooking and trying new recipes. There is no greater joy than seeing the faces of my guests and family as they enjoy the love, joy, and fresh ingredients I put into preparing every dish. Today it is not a dish but I baked, it is a new thing I seem to enjoy but anyway I created Banana Muffins, yummy.
I am known for trying a completely new recipe [one I have not tried before] on the day I am hosting a dinner party with ZERO fear, and it has always turned out beautiful and delicious. I am brave like that [with cooking]. I’m also super EXTRA, so I do not cook simple dishes and somehow I just can not cook small portions. But it is my intention in 2022 to minimize waste [cook smaller portions], make more simple dishes, and make more of the comfort foods that I enjoy. So stay tuned I will be sharing some of my favorite recipes.
But my new thing is baking. Something about it is soothing—it relaxes me. I have always admired a perfectly baked item, but the process looked too messy and uninviting to me.
And then, last Sunday, I sat on my bed trying to calm the anxiousness that took over. I could not calm down then I had a thought to bake a cake. The idea instantly brought about a sense of stillness. Read about it here, and please try the recipe for my Upside-Down Lemon Cake.
So where do I start with these Banana Muffins?
In my kitchen, there were a few speckled bananas that I knew had gotten overly ripe. I put them in the fridge on Saturday as I cleaned my kitchen, intending on freezing them for a possible future smoothie.
I fell asleep and forgot to freeze the banana. When I woke up yesterday morning, I thought about the bananas and decided I would make banana muffins. And volá. I made them. Moist, spiced-filled, and delicious.
I love Simple recipes that give me the confidence to adjust the ingredients with ease and create something special that I know I will make over and over again, like these banana muffins.
Here is the recipe:
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour [spoon & leveled]
One teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
One teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
One teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of ground cardamom
four large ripe bananas [2 cups mashed]
Six tablespoons, sweet cream unsalted butter melted (or melted coconut oil)
⅔ cup dark brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
Two teaspoon pure vanilla extract
One large egg, at room temperature
Two tablespoons oat milk
Optional: one cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 425°F [218°C]. Spray a twelve-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or use cupcake liners.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, [I used my potato masher to mash the bananas]. I used a whisk and wooden spoon to mix [you can use a mixer] the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and milk.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients; then whisk until combined. If adding nuts or chocolate chips, fold them in now. The batter will be thick.
- Spoon the batter into liners, filling them to the top.
- Bake for five minutes at 425, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C).
- Then bake for an additional 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- The total time these muffins take in the oven is about twenty one to twenty three minutes, give or take. Allow the muffins to cool for five minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer them to a wire rack to continue cooling.
I loved that the result was moist, spiced-filled, fabulously tasty, and scrumptious banana goodness.
Would you try these banana muffin?