Banana Muffins with Buttermilk or Yogurt

Today is National Muffin Day and it reminds me of what happened long ago when I first started working full time as a low-level attorney at a high-power firm, right after law school. All the other associates came to work carrying coffee and cartons of breakfast, which they proceeded to eat at their desks. Eggs, and everything with it.

I was always a yogurt woman, even back in the day when Dannon was the only one you could buy and there were only about 5-6 flavors.

But then someone told me about the blueberry muffins from the deli downstairs and unfortunately I tasted one. That was the end of my days of never even thinking about whether I gained a pound or two. I added a blueberry muffin to my yogurt breakfast.

Every day.

I gained a quick “freshman ten” and that was no small thing because back then I was really slim.

Alas, I gave up the morning muffins our of sheer vanity. But not my love of them.

Over the years I’ve occasionally made some at home. Blueberry. Cranberry-Orange. Pumpkin Spice. Zucchini. But it’s usually when we have sleepover guests because the muffin indulgence and the memory of how quickly they added to my girth has tempered my desire to eat them as often as I would like to.

Buying muffins is a no-no for me because the store-bought ones have become so ENORMOUS since the days when I had those luscious things from the deli.

I prefer the old-days size. The kind that comes out of a normal household muffin tin.

I made these Banana Muffins recently. They’re a lot less sweet the the typical muffin and have a vaguely robust hint of molasses. I’ve made these with stirred, plain yogurt for the times I didn’t have buttermilk on hand.

If you love muffins as much as I do, there are plenty of recipes on my blog. Type “muffins” in the box under “search my recipes” and you can find them.

Btw, if you give away food for Purim, these make a lovely gift.

Banana Muffins with Buttermilk or Yogurt

• 1-3/4 cups flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed

• 3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk

• 1/4 cup molasses

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 large egg

• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2-3 tablespoons old fashioned oats

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease 9 muffin tins. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the bananas, buttermilk molasses, vegetable oil, egg and vanilla extract. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ones and mix only long enough to combine thoroughly. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins. Scatter the oats evenly on top of each muffin. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes 9

Banana Streusel Muffins

Selling your house may not be easy these days but I am going to recommend something that might help.

Bake banana muffins.

The aroma is so sweet and homey it makes it seem as if lots of good things happen in your house and people will want to live in it.

I baked some banana muffins the other day and didn’t want to leave my house because that banana perfume was keeping me there like a magnet to nails. For a few minutes I could still sniff a bit of it in my car because I suppose some of the baking vapors stuck to my clothes.

The reason I made banana muffins is because, as I said the other day, I buy way too many bananas. I can’t help myself. Even though I am allergic to bananas I buy lots of them. Frequently. Because I get a vicarious thrill watching other people eat them. And my husband Ed does eat a few, like a good soldier, but I always have too many leftover and have to find something to do with them.

This week I came up with these Banana Muffins. I gave a piece to my 19-month old grandson who looked at it a little skeptically and pushed it away. But then I told him it was a banana muffin and he grabbed it back with his little toddler fist and gobbled it down and then asked for more.

You can make these plain or add dried cranberries, nuts, chocolate chips, grated coconut and so on, to the batter (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup).

Banana Streusel Muffins

Streusel:

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon cnnamon

1 tablespoon butter

In a bowl, mix the brown sugar, four and cinnamon. Cut the butter into small pieces and work into the brown sugar mixture with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

Muffins:

6 tablespoons butter

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 large mashed bananas

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped nuts, dried cranberries or chocolate chips, optional

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease 10 muffin cups. Melt the butter and set aside to cool. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. In another bowl mix the bananas, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until well blended. Stir in the melted butter and optional ingredients. Spoon the flour mixture into the banana mixture and stir until thoroughly blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Top each muffin with equal portions of the streusel. Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Makes 10