All Are Welcome In Banana Nirvana

On more than one occasion The Chief has declared my kitchen the "place where bananas go to die".  I'm so ashamed. I keep throwing out the bad bananas and the next week they come back. It's like Groundhog Day. Or Boomerang Banana Day.

Or something.

I have such good intentions when I buy them.

I have Grand Banana Plans.

I will make banana bread and banana cream pie and Bananas Foster and bananas flambe'. We will eat bananas on our cereal and put them in our yogurt. I will dip them in chocolate and freeze them. We'll have banana smoothies.

We will eat them in the morning and we will eat them in the night.

I will give myself a facial with bananas. 

Oh the plans, they are grand.

But I always let the bananas die. And I know in my heart it is wrong.


So today I made a vow. I will be kind to the banana. They will not die a slow, black death here.

No more suffering, no more pain.

From now on my kitchen shall be known as Banana Nirvana.


And to prove it, I would rescue the bananas currently on my counter.

I would make them into muffins. These aren't one of the muffins that I served at the Ladies event on Saturday...I know I'm supposed to be posting those recipes but this was a matter of BANANA LIFE OR DEATH so I know you'll excuse me, and allow me to post this one before I get around to the ones from Saturday.

I did the bananas proud. This recipe deserves some kind of award. (I am, of course, totally unbiased)

A trophy perhaps. Or a ribbon.

Blue. Yes. A blue ribbon.

It's that good.


Here's the recipe, but don't stop there-a fun step-by-step follows! You know you love 'em!

Lifesaver Banana Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• heaping 1/4  teaspoon salt
• 2 cups mashed bananas (about 2)
• 1 large egg
•  1 stick  butter, melted
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• about 1/3 cup honey roasted sunflower seeds
• 
  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas, egg, melted butter and milk until incorporated.

Stir the chocolate chips into the dry ingredients just until coated, then add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.

Sprinkle a full teaspoon of sunflower seeds on the top of each.

Bake about 28 minutes. Just until lightly golden.

OK, here goes...

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use a whisk to get them all nice and combined.

Mash up the bananas with a fork

Add the egg, melted butter, and milk, then mix well with the whisk.

Stir the chocolate chips into the dry ingredients until just coated.

Now add the banana mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix or the muffins will be tough!

Now, with an ice cream scoop fill 12 regular size muffin cups (sprayed with baking spray) about 3/4 full. Then sprinkle a full teaspoon of the sunflower seeds over each.

Bake at 350 about 28 minutes until just brown.

Only Happy Bananas here!

Enjoy!

Let me know what you think!

Lu