Making Time: Banana-Bran Muffins

Well, I've started culinary school. It's actually happening.

Evening classes can be pretty rough, and it's been a little hard adjusting to the four-to-ten schedule. It still feels as though I have no time to get anything done and then, suddenly, the day is over.

I'm working on it, though. I've even managed to do some baking at home in between all the homework and bus commutes. Whoot!

But, in all honesty, it's been pretty awesome so far. I foresee it getting really intense and stressful but, hey, how else are you supposed to learn anything?

Banana-Bran Muffins
(adapted from eatingwell.com)



1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose/plain flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs
2/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup wheat bran
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400° F (204° C). Grease a 12-muffin pan (or stand-alone silicone cups) and set aside.

Whisk together the flours, baking powder, soda, and salt and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until creamy and then beat in the sugar, mixing until smooth and fully combined.

Stir in the bananas and mix well, then add the vanilla, oil, wheat bran, and buttermilk, mixing thoroughly after each addition.

Now add the flour mixture, about a third at a time, mixing only until just combined.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup to the top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean. Cool in the pan for a few minutes and then remove to a cooling rack.

Makes about a dozen muffins.

Banana Muffins with Streusel Topping

Did you have food obsessions as a child? I remember being addicted to carrots for a while. And I couldn't get enough of cucumber. And bananas. I definitely a special place in my heart for bananas. I loved the way they came with a natural wrapper. I loved peeling them, one section at a time. I loved the smooth, firm texture. I just hated how fast they turned brown. Sometimes after just a couple of days in the fruit bowl, brown spots would already start showing up. Somehow, as a child very fond of the familiar, I couldn't accept the change in appearance and flavor as my favorite fruits began to age. That slightly heady sweetness and steady softening repulsed me.

But things are a little different now.

Eating raw, browned bananas still isn't my favorite activity (some impressions just don't go away!) but I now know the secret joy that only over-ripe bananas can bestow. Banana bread. Banana muffins. Moist, sweet, and so, so delicious. The squishy, sickly sweetness of brown bananas elevates the humble muffin or loaf cake to glorious, scrumptious heights. And I don't have to feel bad about letting those bananas go steadily browner, uneaten on the counter.

Recipe:
Banana Muffins with Streusel Topping

1 3/4 cups all-purpose/plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar (if you like your goodies sweet, go ahead and add 3/4 cup!)
3 large, very ripe bananas, mashed (I left mine pretty chunky so there were globs of banana in the muffins when they were cooked, yum!)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C)

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the bananas and then the eggs and vanilla.

Add the flour mixture, a little at a time, stirring until just combine (don't over mix).

Spoon batter into greased muffin tins, about 3/4 full.

Top with streusel topping (see this recipe)

Bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes.

Allow muffins to cool in tins before removing to a cooling rack.