I’m still not good at weekly banana management. Probably never will be. Don’t you find it fascinating that a green banana can ripen so fast? It’s like all of a sudden you’ve stepped into this fruit time warp. One day you’re cruisin past the kitchen table, you glance at the fruit bowl. Nah, don’t feel like a banana today, maybe tomorrow….you’re feeling like yogurt. So off you go, off to work and the next day, you glance at the bowl again. You pick one up put it in your bag for lunch at work. Work gets crazy; you don’t eat it and then it sits on your desk. Tomorrow you promise yourself, “I’ll really eat it tomorrow”, “Really I will”.  It’s utterly astounding how this happens; this fruit time warp. Somehow a stargate has opened, you’ve entered a parallel universe and you’ve lost all track of time during the week. You swear you just passed by that bowl and they were green! All of a sudden you are staring down a bowl of dark bananas and you know. That inner voice speaks to you. It says, “YOU BETTER MAKE BANANA BREAD” or throw those suckers out. I can’t throw em out. I know, you too? Guilt gets me every time. Banana guilt. I decided banana muffins instead of the bread. The beauty of this recipe is that you can use buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream. Enjoy, guilt free.

(recipe adapted from: The Sono Baking Company Cookbook)

yield: 16-18 muffins

Banana Walnut Streusel Muffins

 

Streusel Topping

1/4 Cup flour

1/2 Cup light brown sugar

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 stick cold butter, cut into small cubes

1/2 Cup chopped walnuts

Muffins

2 Cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 Cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp

1 Cup sugar

1  1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 Lg. eggs, room temp

2 tsp. vanilla

3 very ripe bananas

1/2 Cup buttermilk, sour cream, or whole milk yogurt

1 Cup walnuts, chopped

1. To make the streusel: In a medium bowl, use a fork to stir together the flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Add the cubes of butter and using your fingertips work the mixture into pea-size crumbs; set aside in the fridge until ready to use.

2. Set the oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add in the vanilla and bananas.

5. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients, beating until the flour is absorbed. Beat in the buttermilk. Fold in the walnuts.

6. Using an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup fill the muffin cups. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the muffins, pressing it into the batter slightly.

7. Bake one tray at a time. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 450 degrees, then immediately turn down the oven to 350 degrees and continue to bake for another 14-16 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted comes out clean. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Using a table knife gently lift and turn the muffins on their sides in the muffin cups. Let cool completely in the pan.

{Printable Recipe}:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18-vCyj-SDL8zUk3I85lbdr2iu1BniNLS9Y6JdaxVzzg/edit