comfort food

well, with chilly weather moving in, and after a few weeks of busy busy busy, it is no surprise that hubby has come down with a cold, and i am feeling a bit under the weather myself.
but, i am trying to ward off any more sickness, so we spent today resting, napping, watching tv, & drinking orange juice and gingerale.

midway through the day, i felt a craving for a baked good, that would be both comforting & tasty.

i decided to make whole wheat banana muffins (from joyofbaking.com).
they were the perfect snack for this rainy, mellow day!


here is the recipe:

2 cups (260 grams) whole wheat pastry flour (can use unbleached all purpose flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/ 2 cups (360 ml) mashed banana (about 3 large ripe bananas (approximately 1 pound or 454 grams)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (120 ml) pure maple syrup (preferably Grade A dark amber)
1/2 cup (105 grams) light brown sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) milk
1/4 cup (60 ml) canola, corn, or safflower oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup (75 grams) walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped*****

Garnish: (Optional)
1 large banana, sliced or dried banana chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Line 16 muffin cups with paper liners, or you can butter or spray the muffin cups with a non stick vegetable spray.

In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon

In another large bowl combine the mashed bananas, lightly beaten eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. Fold in the chopped walnuts. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth. Over mixing the batter will yield tough, rubbery muffins.) Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins and, if desired, place a slice of banana or dried banana chip on top of each muffin for garnish. Bake about 18 - 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for five minutes and then remove muffins from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 16 regular sized muffins. (or 9 jumbo ones)


*****instead of using nuts in my recipe, I actually substituted in chopped strawberries. I just pulled out some frozen strawberries, and chopped them up into bite size pieces, and added them in.

make yourself a cup of hot tea, and sit back and enjoy this tasty treat!
happy baking :)